Deals with the Devil
by Kendoka Girl
Summary: Admiral John Shepard tries to be a good father and help the Alliance and his daughter, Claire. But is it for the greater good or his own vanity? Ashley Williams sucks it up when she gets a crappy gig on Eden Prime. FemShep/Alenko
1. Chapter 1

**W/N - **Thanks for the support on Coming Aboard. I appreciate the input and please say hi. Let's take a look at something a little different and spooky and then introduce Ashley. What happens behind the scenes and who are the Shepards? The CODEX at the bottom, like in the game, explains terminology that may be unfamiliar or technical.

Other malarkey - stuck in crazy training. On my day off, I thought I'd proof this and post so I can feel normal.

**Earth – 2300Z – Langley, Virginia**

**Systems Alliance Intelligence Branch Headquarters**

**Admiral John M. Shepard – Director of Systems Alliance Intelligence**

The Director of SAI was a practical man. After all, his practicality gained him this most elevated post. He looked out towards the Potomac River from his office to admire the evening sky. Reds and purples mixed together in the palette of dusk for a most impressive display of nature. There could be times when he could afford himself these small pleasures. After all, he had worked so hard to keep these pleasures safe for humanity. Many sacrifices had to be made.

In a good year, he might see his wife, Hannah, for three months between his position and her posting on the _SSV Kilimanjaro_, where she was the XO of the dreadnaught. If all went well, she might one day be Chief of Naval Operations. And his daughter, Claire…. He tried to give her everything within his immense power, but all she did was resent him for it. It made no sense to his logical and practical mind. He grudgingly admitted to himself that she had been successful in her own right, but would never have gotten this far without his assistance.

After all, the Shepard family had a long genealogy and a lot of power. Every member had to uphold the honor of the clan. The admiral was proud when his daughter fought such a heroic action at Elysium and he pulled many stings to get her into the limelight. A Shepard had served in government or the military during nearly every major conflict involving the United States or the United Kingdom in the last 800 years. He was immensely proud of his heritage and insisted that the family do nothing to dishonor it.

"What are you looking at, Mister Director?" asked a man sitting in a seat in front of the desk.

Director Shepard turned away from the gathering dark to look at the man. He was always fascinated by the man's perfectly symmetrical face and his impeccable sense of fashion. The man might be a bit old for his daughter, but their physical perfection would complement each other. Perhaps such an accomplished man would be what she needed and that she would stop running around like an alley cat. "I was just thinking," he said. "Nothing important."

"Then, do we have an agreement?"

As an Intelligence Officer, Shepard never liked the direct approach. He much preferred the cat and mouse game prior to any conclusion. "Do you remember how we defeated the turians at Shanxi?"

The silver-gray haired man raised an eyebrow as if he knew where the game was heading and that his question would not be answered before the game was played. He sighed, resigned to Shepard's will. "It was proper intelligence gathering before any engagement, if I recall."

Shepard nodded emphatically. "Preparation of the battlespace is all important. The grunts like Grissom and Anderson would never have achieved victory without adequate intelligence. Long-range SIGINT drones exploited turian sensors and communications and we were able to decipher their language and command structure before the first shot was fired in the liberation."

"Masterful."

"Deceptive sensor images and jamming degraded their combat capability followed by swift special ops strikes to specific vulnerabilities. Their ability to respond to our full-spectrum assault on Shanxi became nonexistent. It was all about synergy. Synergy is important. We have to work together to further the goals of the Alliance. You understand, don't you?" Shepard knew all of the buzz words of the business and didn't mind throwing them around to gain the upper hand with a civilian.

The man smiled, revealing his perfect teeth. "I understand perfectly, Mister Director. My…organization will be at your disposal." No more needed to be said.

John Shepard strode around his desk and stood, one alpha male to another, and extended his hand. The man before him headed up a paramilitary organization that flew beneath the radar of any government oversight. Such a group would likely prove valuable as a conduit of intelligence throughout Alliance space. In turn, SAI would filter funds and weapons for the group to operate. As they shook hands, John knew in his heart that he didn't entirely trust the man even if he did consider him to be a suitable son in law. Should Cerberus ever go rogue, Admiral Shepard had ways to correct that – tactical courses of action or COA's were the options that every good leader should have in his back pocket. Nothing bad could ever come back to dishonor his office…or his family.

"Good evening, Mister Director." The man smiled as he withdrew and they both knew that nothing incriminating had ever been said. They could have been dealing for mangoes and the man's organization could just be mowing Shepard's lawn. The Director loved the subterfuge that went with his job.

"And good evening to you, sir," Shepard said with a wide smile that vanished the moment the man left the room. He activated the auditory jammers to seal all sound in the room. Option Two would need to be locked in before he could feel comfortable for the night. He activated a link to the London Branch Headquarters of SAI, where he figured that it would be close to midnight there. He tapped a key on the video phone. "Go secure TS."

A screen appeared with a handsome, gray-haired woman in a sharp blue business suit and a light pink scarf. She was someone professional, yet perky. Her face lit up at the sight of Shepard. "John!" she cried as if at a long lost brother. "Or should I say, Director Shepard? Do be a dear and catch old Penny up on your life," she said in a decidedly Yorkshire accent.

A very unpractical grin came over his face. He had deep feelings for his London Chief of Station. "Ahhh, Penny. You still look the same as when we were at Oxford." Through diligent practice, he had eliminated his own regional accent from New England. He always thought the dialect was too harsh and that would fail to impress those who needed to by impressed.

Penny cooed. "Flattery will get you everywhere. When can I cross the pond and see you, John?"

"You're welcome in Langley anytime, Penny. We always enjoy visits from our colleagues in England," he said. "With modern travel, you're only a couple of hours away. How is His Majesty's Secret Service these days?"

"Oh, it's been a little boring since the batarians and pirates were dealt such a crushing blow. Of course, the Verge is still the Wild West, but our electronic and sentient sources have kept us pretty well informed." They had both been in this game for very long and had built a very deep rapport. In fact, they had been at this since before the foundation of the Alliance. "John," she said with some disappointment, "the game doesn't have the same flair for me after all of the old groups went down. I miss challenging the Russians and the Chinese. Now, all of the traditional adversaries have merged into one happy dysfunctional family. We're all just one blob of intelligence. It's sad, John, simply sad," she said with a hint of humor. "Now, be a dear and tell me what's bothering you. I can see it written on your face."

He chuckled, feeling like a guilty schoolboy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "You know me too well, Penny," he said as he sent her an image captured from a long-range SIGINT station. "Take a look at this. An agent of the mysterious Shadow Broker told me where to focus the station. It's like nothing we've ever seen before."

Penny brought up the multi-spectral image, which showed a fuzzy lobster-like vessel. "John, the power output from this object is incredible! The Ku and Ka Band emissions are off the chart," she mused about the radio frequency power coming from the ship. I'm assuming that we don't know what it is or you'd be telling me."

"Your assumption is correct. Our analysis indicates that it is more than a match for any Alliance vessel."

"So is the _Destiny Ascension_. Do you think it's another Asari prototype?"

"Though I wouldn't put it past the asari to construct another vessel in secret, I don't think it is," he said. "Look at the hull design…the asari are obsessed with beauty sometimes to the detriment of practicality. This beast is downright ugly. It's something entirely different…not turian or salarian either."

"Yes, you're right. Is there anything we can say about its intentions?"

"Based on the weapons signatures that we're seeing, it's not friendly. Also, we strongly think that it's heading for Alliance space."

"Alliance space?" Penny exclaimed with a gasp. She was clearly horrified. "I take it that information came from the Shadow Broker too? John, we need to warn people."

"Penny…I've always liked you because we are of similar minds. You know that since the First Contact War, humanity has foundered again culturally and devolved into self interest and corruption. We need something to galvanize us once more…something that will unite us before the Council and propel us into the forefront of galactic events. Information is power and when we give it away, we lose that power."

The London Chief of Station blew out a long breath. "What you're asking…. Aren't your wife and daughter out there now? Claire is on a frigate, John. They're the tip of the spear." Penny had often been a surrogate mother to young Claire when Hannah was on deployment.

John Shepard felt a cold prickly spread throughout his gut. "I know, Penny. I'm willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. You know that. This is for the future of humanity."

She nodded slowly as if letting the unstated request sink in. "I understand, John. It's not like we haven't done this before. I'll make the necessary arrangements to supply the Alliance with the intelligence…at the right time."

"I knew I could count on you. Please give my best to Alan."

"I shall. Good evening to you, John."

The Director of SAI was always a practical man, willing to make sacrifices for the Alliance. He scanned back across the vastness of his office to admire the rich sense of history and service. He walked across and ancient Persian rug and focused in on a Gothic suit of armor worn by Sir Arthur Shepard, a vassal of King Edward IV. The curved and fluted surfaces were meant to deflect any blade or arrow during the time of the Wars of the Roses much like John Shepard was the eyes and the armor of the Systems Alliance, deflecting threats to humanity even when that threat was humanity itself.

**Eden Prime – 0100E**

**Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Charlie Company, 212****th**** Battalion Near the Prothean Dig Site**

**Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams – Charlie Company NCO**

Gunnery Chief Williams ran a long cleaning rod down the barrel of her rifle to push out moisture and carbon buildup. The brush popped out of the muzzle end of the smooth bore and she wiped off the cleaning solvent with a rag. Even these super modern weapons needed constant maintenance despite the Mass Effect field that propelled rounds through the barrel, imparting a magnetic spin on the bullet. The incredible muzzle velocity in which the rounds traveled left microscopic amounts of residue, which could eventually induce a malfunction if not taken care of. Also, there was something about servicing her weapons in the pre-dawn hours that brought her comfort. There was a controlled regularity to it and a hope that someone, somewhere, might notice her diligence and reward her with an assignment that she knew she deserved.

Colonial duty wasn't bad, mind you, if you liked monotony and marginal leadership. Every day since the 212 got in country it was get up at 0100, grab your chow, and patrol the dig site for long, boring hours. Then, if you were lucky, you got relieved by the 214 and could grab some evening chow and a shower before taps and do it all over again the next day. Then, there was colonial leadership…. Everyone knew that the top-rated officers got fleet duty. They went where the action was and where their leadership made a difference. REMF's, Pogues, or Fobbits with low scores and bad track records got the cheesy garrison commands where they could agonize over lawn care or compliance reports. Ashley swore she'd eat her gun if she had to serve under one more knucklehead who couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag.

"Why so glum, chief? It's a beautiful night," a woman said in a distinct Indian accent.

Williams looked up from the glow of the burner, where a pot of coffee was brewing. Indeed, the stars were in full glow, shimmering above the quiet colony. Ash tried to shake off the sleep, but it was getting harder each day that her career was slipping away through the cosmos. "Hand me a cup of coffee, Nirali," she asked the other woman.

"Two creams, no sugar, right?"

Ash smiled and nodded at some inside joke. "We've been doing this for too long."

Private First Class Nirali Bhatia poured a cup full of steaming joe and handed it over to her company NCO or non-commissioned officer. Ash took it gratefully and blew over the top of the cup. "Damn Nirali, you make the best Columbian blend in the colonies. I'm going to miss you."

"I will miss you too, chief. You must come and visit Samesh and I when we have the restaurant up and running."

Ash threw her head back, delighted at the idea. "Ohhh, you better make up some of that curry chicken. I'd fight a krogan for some of that."

"We'll make it special for you – extra hot and slightly sweet."

"Just the way I like it," Williams said, her mouth watering at the thought. Nirali was the best cook she'd ever served with so it was no wonder that colonial command put her on the line as an infantryman and made a guy, who could ruin salad, run the chow hall. "When do you ETS?" she asked, inquiring about Nirali mustering out.

"I am out of here in two days on a shuttle back to Earth. We will have the restaurant grand opening in one month. I expect you to be there, chief."

Ash looked at Nirali in the dim light. If it hadn't been for people like her and her squad mates, she'd have gotten out long ago for as well as the marines had treated her. Sometimes, it was like she had some kind of disease…yeah, it was the Williams Disease. "I wouldn't miss it for the world…and call me Ash. I'm not going to be your company NCO for much longer."

"Thank you, Ash," Nirali said as she brought out a video pad. "Oh, here is the latest from Samesh. He is so cute when he is cooking."

Williams leaned over to take a look at Mister Bhatia whipping up a thick broth. Nirali was a lucky woman to have such a loving husband. "I've seen so much of him I feel like part of the family."

Missus Bhatia touched Ash's hand. "You _are_."

Ash was deeply touched. Family was always important to her and being considered part of the Bhatia family, wow, that brought on some goose pimples. She was about to give her thanks when someone kicked dirt over the burner, putting it out. "Hey!"

"Williams, Bhatia, get your asses up. We got to get this patrol moving."

Ash looked up to see Major Kendall staring down at them. A feeling of disgust crept through her belly at seeing his beady pig eyes in a pink, pig face along with his pointy, salad bowl haircut around a shiny bald spot. "Yes, sir," she said, standing slowly as Nirali jumped to her feet.

He spat in her coffee. "You lazy pieces of shit in Charlie Company will be patrolling the south side of the dig site today. I don't want no screw ups or nuttin' going wrong. I'm not bussin' a promotion for you losers," he said in a rambling mumble.

"I wouldn't dream of denying your advancement, sir."

He got right up in her face, nose to nose. "Don' get smarts with me, Williams! You a disgrace to the Corpse," he shouted, mispronouncing the name of his own service. "I know where you come from…the daughter and granddaughter of losers. The apple don' fall far from the bush! You don' fool me for a second."

The urge to either smack him hard or laugh in his face almost overcame her and she knew that the Almighty was testing her. His butchery of the language was cause enough to smite him on the spot. The satisfaction of having him cry like a little girl would be great, but there would be consequences and there was no way that she was going to impugn the Williams name. A lot of people were looking down at her right now from beyond and she wouldn't blow this for a moment's pleasure. She merely held her tongue as her face turned beat red. God help her…or him one day.

Major Kendall paced around her, puffing his chest out like the ersatz soldier he was. "One more thang, Williams. Downloads your ammo and secure it. I don' want _no _accidental discharges from you clowns. One itchy trigger finger and some scientist gets winged and there goes my promotion. No loaded weapons, you hears me?"

"Clearly, sir."

He looked down his nose at her like she was trash. "Then what the hell are you still doin' here? Get moving!"

Ash and Nirali scrambled away to muster the company. She looked back to see Major Kendall creeping back into his cushy tent and she gave him the bird with her middle finger. "That pogue hasn't been on patrol with us yet. He bitches us out and then goes right back to bed."

Nirali gave a disgusted sneer back towards the tent. "You're the one holding Charlie Company together, Ash. How did he get to be the battalion commander?"

Williams looked up into the sky and snorted. "He's a son of Parliament. Minister papa Kendall pulled some strings and _voila,_ his son's a CO. Daddy got him a posting out here as well so that _fortunate son_ could beat the peasants without getting hurt in actual combat."

"Unbelievable," Nirali said, shaking her head. She then began ejecting her ammunition magazine and handed it to Williams.

Ash put her hand out to stop the private. "What are you doing? You don't think we're actually going to follow his lunatic orders, huh? Don't tell the company either. Meatpuppet will sleep right through the whole patrol and he won't know the difference."

Private Bhatia laughed out loud. "Meatpuppet! I love it when you call him that. I really thank Heaven for you, Ash."

The chief grinned back and genuflected with her hands as she knelt on her right knee. "By grace divine, not otherwise, O Nature, we are thine."

They walked past the 214, who would be patrolling the northern sector. While Eden Prime was pretty safe, you never knew about those crazy pirates or batarians. They just might try something stupid with that beacon here. Ash saw them downloading their magazines. "Hey, lieutenant, what are you doing?"

Lieutenant Chun didn't look up. "I'm following the major's orders, that's what I'm doing. You'd be wise to do the same, Williams."

"I'm going to top out at Gunnery Chief and no one will ever send me to fleet, so I'm protecting my marines. That's what _I'm _doing."

Chun snorted derisively. "Well, I've got a long career ahead of me, chief, and I won't go down for insubordination. Besides, who would ever attack this place? It's nothing but farms – Pigs, cows, and crops…."

Ash popped her hand outward, pointing a finger at him with a wink. "That's what they said at Elysium before that Shepard chick showed up. Don't worry, sir, I'll cry at your funeral."

Chun laughed at the jab. "And I'll cry at your court martial. You have a great morning, chief."

"Uurah, sir!" She and Nirali waved at the 214 as that unit headed up north. Off in the distance there was an eerie, smoky light in the sky above the city. Ash watched as it slowly descended, getting larger and larger. "What the heck is that?" she said, pointing at a weird, lobster-looking ship, shrouded in a hellish red glow.

CODEX –

REMF – Rear Echelon MF

Pogue – Derogatory military slang term for someone who is inept

Fobbit – Someone who is afraid to leave the safety of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) like Hobbits afraid to leave the Shire


	2. Remorse

W/N - Thank you again. This story is again dedicated to Padawan Mage for his support and valuable walkthrough of the Mass Effect gameplay, which helped immensely with the writing.

Military acronyms and terms are explained in the CODEX at the bottom as well as in the text when possible. I actually spent my day with an admiral and then ran with a bunch of marines. I've tried to recreate some of the nuances of being a marine here (fyi - I'm not a marine, but I work with them a lot). In answer to a question, this is heading down the FemShep/Kaidan road and Illusive Man did make a guest appearance. Say hi if you get a chance. I'm TDY for a few days.

Please enjoy.

_**SSV Normandy **_**– 2130E – Medical Bay**

**L+18 Hours after the landing on Eden Prime and still currently in orbit**

**Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko**

The cold, sterile atmosphere of the Medical Bay stood in stark contrast to the hot feeling of shame and guilt that ran through Kaiden's mind as he looked down on the unconscious Lieutenant Commander Shepard. Doctor Chakwas assured him that she would recover fully, but it did nothing to assuage that worry in his gut. Shepard appeared to be sleeping peacefully, pumped full of sedatives to allow her brain to heal after the shock of nearly being torn apart by the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime. When he was sure that the doctor wasn't looking, he touched her hand, trying to bring her back through his will alone.

"Lieutenant, she'll be fine. You're the one who should rest," he heard the doctor say and knew he was caught. His cheeks burned red for a moment. He pulled his hand back as if he had touched a hot iron.

"She took a bullet for me, doctor. I was the idiot who wanted to check out the beacon. It's all my fault."

"It's not my place to comment on that, as I wasn't there," the doctor said and then checked the monitors above Shepard's head. "By all accounts, she should come around soon. We just have to be patient."

Kaiden nodded reluctantly. "You know, after Jenkins want down, I would have stepped right into the line of fire if she didn't pull me back…and those…_things_, those mutated husks," he said, finding it difficult to speak the words to describe the horrors that the geth had created by warping humans into grotesque cyborgs to do their bidding. He wouldn't be able to make a solid turd for days after seeing those things. His breathing was coming in short, choppy gasps now and he lowered his face. "I…I had one of those things on me…shrieking like a banshee. I couldn't focus enough to use my biotics and I couldn't get to my pistol. The commander took a shotgun to it without scratching me. It should be me there, not her."

Doctor Chakwas put a gentle hand on his shoulder. There was this motherly quality about her that he really liked since he came aboard. Kaiden reached out and steadied himself against a bulkhead. He'd been on an adrenaline high for nearly a standard day and it was catching up to him – his eyes were dry and he could feel a faint dull throbbing at the back of his head. He was about to stagger off and get some sack time when he thought he saw some movement.

"Doctor…Doctor Chakwas, she's waking up."

Kaiden moved in closer and watched as Shepard's eyes began to flutter. He couldn't help himself, but he studied her as she lay there. Her eyes were big and iron gray over a perky, ski slope nose. Her hair was deep chocolate brown, rich and full. The vids didn't do her justice. Even unconscious, everything about her was so precise – she even slept at attention. He remembered taking her weapons down to the armory after having carried her all the way back to the _Normandy_. Other than the lead residue in the barrels, her weapons were pristine – the sign of a true professional. You could even see yourself in the bluing of her Raikou pistol. Right now, his eyes were fixed on hers as they opened. Shepard struggled for a moment, trying to focus on something and Kaidan rushed past the doctor to give her a hand.

_It should have been me on that bed, not her._

He could feel the warmth of her arm and the tautness of her muscles beneath the sheet over her body. She looked into his eyes and recognition came to her face. She looked so vulnerable unlike the hard and strong Lieutenant Commander Shepard he had so briefly known. A smile came to her lips and it took his breath away.

"Kaiden…I mean Lieutenant Alenko." The smile faded and she was all business again.

Shepard swung her legs over the side of the bed, but she still seemed wobbly. Doctor Chakwas came to around to the other side to help. "You had us worried for a while," the doctor said in her best bedside manner. "How are you doing?"

Shepard rubbed her temples and grimaced. "Minor throbbing…nothing more," she said, but Kaiden could tell it was more than that. "How long was I out?"

"About fifteen hours. Something happened down there with the beacon, I think," the doctor continued.

The lieutenant was just glad she was okay, but he was still wracked with guilt over the beacon. "It's all my fault," he said. Yes, he'd take whatever blame was coming to him. If Shepard was a ball buster and it would end his career, so be it. "I must have activated some kind of security field. You had to push me out of the way," he told Shepard.

She shook her head. "You had no way of knowing what would happen." It sounded like she meant it. A flood of relief poured out of Kaiden and a smile escaped his lips.

The doctor spoke. "Actually, we don't even know if that is what set it off," she said, adding weight to Shepard's words. "Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance to find out."

Kaiden still wanted a chance to explain things. "The beacon exploded – the system overloaded maybe and the blast knocked you cold. Williams and I had to carry you back to the ship."

Shepard looked back at him. There looked to be a million things running through her head and she looked distracted, but she was still sincere. "I appreciate it."

Kaiden made one, solemn nod. He came here expecting venom, but found that he received absolution. He didn't quite know how to take it, but he felt a huge weight fall from his shoulders.

"Physically, you're fine," the doctor continued, "but I've detected some unusual brain activity…abnormal Beta Waves. I also noticed an increase in your Rapid Eye Movement, science typically associated with intense dreaming.

Shepard's breathing became shallow and rapid as if she were reliving a nightmare. "I saw…something…I'm not sure what I saw. Death, destruction…nothing's really clear."

The doctor crossed her arms. "Hmmm, I'd better add this to my report. It may-"

Kaiden heard the hiss of the hatch opening and saw the captain stride in. His was not a happy face. The lieutenant quickly snapped to attention. Anderson walked by, almost ignoring his subordinate. He obviously had more important things to address.

The doctor turned to face Anderson, clearly not worried about military protocol – she was too old and had been around the block too many times for that in this setting. "Oh, Captain Anderson."

"How is our XO holding up?" he asked, his eyes clearly showing his concern.

"Well, the readings look normal. I'd say that the commander is going to be fine."

The captain nodded, giving the faintest hint of a smile. "Glad to hear it," he said and then looked directly at the commander. "Shepard, I need to speak with you…in private."

Kaiden knew when he was taking up too much space. "Aye, aye, captain. I'll be in the mess if you need me." His initial inclination was to salute, but protocol did not call for it here. Instead, he left quietly with the doctor. As the hatch closed behind them, he could only wonder what they were talking about. Conflict raged in his gut over what happened on Eden Prime. Without warning, a synthetic life form called the geth had launched a massive assault on the idyllic planet and they came damn near to wiping out the entire colony. Yes, the colony was saved, but the mission was ultimately a failure.

"I spoke to Chief Williams," the doctor said. "She thinks that the two of you were a couple of the bravest grunts in the fleet."

Kaiden let out a tension filled chuckle. "When we hit the LZ," he said of the landing zone, "the place was a madhouse – fleeing civilians, geth, explosions everywhere. Jenkins got wasted in the first firefight, the poor kid. We picked up Williams along the way after her unit was wiped out." He took a breath and shuddered. "Doc…doc, you can't imagine what went on down there…what the geth did to those people. Those sons of bitches."

Doctor Chakwas said nothing, but merely nodded as she listened.

He looked at her, a little embarrassed at the outburst. "Sorry doctor. It wasn't bad enough that they impaled living people on these spikes, they had to mutate them into mindless husks! Why did they attack us, doctor, why?" He knew she didn't have the answer, but he had to ask.

"I don't know, lieutenant, but I'm sure the captain will lead us to the answers."

"You know, doctor, when we reached the port, Shepard rallied what forces she could and we punished those bastards. We hit them hard." It was a small thing, but it made him feel safer. It made him feel less powerless.

"Chief Williams was very complimentary of the counterattack that you staged. You did more than your duty, lieutenant."

He made eye contact with her and it was enough to say thanks. "I appreciate you listening to me, doctor. I'll let you get back to work. I think I'll wait here for the commander. I'd like to thank her too."

_**SSV Normandy **_**– 2200E – Medical Bay**

**Lieutenant Commander Claire Shepard**

The meeting with Captain Anderson didn't leave her feeling any better. He expressed great support for her actions down on Eden Prime, but she couldn't shake the anger that she felt at having lost Jenkins and how Intell had dropped the ball. The J2 back at fleet should have gotten some heads up on the geth considering all of their SIGINT assets deployed around the Mass Relays. A ship as big as the one they saw down there would leave some kind of damn signature even before it dropped out of FTL. So much for Admiral John M. Shepard's promise of unlimited support.

And the weapons and armor that was issued to Jenkins and Alenko…. It was criminal. Yes, Jenkins had gotten stupid and impatient, wanting to prove himself, but she saw him trying to press the trigger…and nothing. The Lancer I was a piece of crap with weak firepower and prone to misfires. Also, Jenkins might as well have been wearing a hospital gown for as much as his Onyx I armor protected him. The first geth volley tore him to shreds in a couple of seconds. Someone was going to pay for this and she wasn't going to take any _lowest bidder_ excuses. Those damn defense contractors would sell you a bra and a rock and call it a catapult if it would make them a credit.

Shepard sighed hard. "Don't get me started," she whispered to herself.

She took a moment to try and focus on the vision that was implanted in her mind from the Prothean Beacon, but it only made her head hurt again. She hoped that it wasn't a portent of what was to come with the geth slaughtering the civilized worlds.

The commander walked slowly out of the Medical Bay in search of Doctor Chakwas. It would probably be a good idea to let her have her office back. Lieutenant Alenko was the first person she saw beyond the door and the anxiety written on his face stood out like a beacon. He was even bouncing on his toes like a guilty schoolboy.

"Glad to see you're okay, commander!"

This was the first chance she had to really look at him since coming aboard. As the XO it was her job to know the ins and outs of the crew, but there hadn't been a whole lot of time between the whirlwind tour of Earth and the madness of Eden Prime. From his personnel jacket she knew he was mixed Russian and Japanese and he certainly looked it with bushy Russian eyebrows and Asian almond eyes. His hair was dark and high and tight, but he had this wave thing going in front that looked pretty damn funny to her.

"Lieutenant," she said as she stopped to face him.

"Commander, glad to see you're okay. Losing Jenkins was hard on the crew."

In an instant, she replayed the whole scene in her mind. She and Kaiden took a knee behind cover and he held up a fist to stop all forward movement, but Jenkins bolted ahead. He had that _I'm going to show her what I'm made of _look that all young marines have. Before she could blink, three assault drones hit him with a fusillade of bullets. She was going to speak, but Kaiden continued, "I'm glad we didn't lose you too."

It wasn't about her though and her training and instincts kicked in. A good leader lived and breathed for the benefit of the mission and welfare of the men and women who sacrificed for that mission. "How are you holding up, lieutenant? It was pretty rough down there."

He sighed pretty hard and she could tell that his head was wrapped around a bitter pill. "You never get used to seeing dead civilians, but at least you stopped Saren from wiping out the whole colony."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

He stood a little straighter. "We're marines, ma'am, we stick together."

They talked a little more about the mission and Shepard found that she could respect the quiet, solemn man who led her squad of marines. She'd already noticed that he liked to keep to himself most of the time and it made her want to find out why. Kaiden had just as much guilt about Jenkin's death as she did but he reassured her that everything was done right. In everything that Shepard was taught about being an XO, you were supposed to be the stick to the Captain's carrot in order to keep good order and discipline in the ranks, but she just couldn't bring herself to be the hammer today. Kaiden didn't deserve that.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she said sincerely. "You pulled more than your weight."

Alenko shrugged it off. "Just doing my job, ma'am. You saved my life a couple of times down there."

"Just doing _my_ job."

"So, what a shakedown cruise, huh? Our first mission ends with one SPECTRE killing another. The Citadel Council's not going to be happy about that. They'll probably use that to leverage more concessions out of the Alliance," he said knowingly.

Shepard had to remind herself that no plan survives contact with the enemy and, as hard as they fought, nothing more could have been done. For a moment, she could envision her father looking down on her like she had betrayed the Alliance. She shook off the image. "You've got a good grasp of the situation. You a career man?"

He nodded and told her a little about how he got his commission through his biotic potential. Shepard had little exposure to biotics and had to admit to some curiosity about them. The whole telekinesis thing was simply fascinating to her. "Besides," he said, "my father was a career man. It made him proud when I signed up." Shepard saw a deep sense of devotion when he said that and she knew he was a man who could be trusted in a pinch.

"But, is that why you're here," he continued, "because of your family?"

If Alenko only knew the truth. "Yeah, something like that. I was a fleet brat and it only seemed natural that I sign up. The folks got a little more than they bargained for though," she said with a smirk.

Kaiden cocked his head. "Yeah, I thought that you from Elysium. The vids don't do you justice," he said half jokingly.

She was a little flattered, but had heard it all before. Receiving insincere compliments had become a part of her life and she had learned to brush them off, but Alenko had a deep sense of genuineness to his words. This threw her off of her game. "Thank you, lieutenant," she said and shifted the conversation back to the mission. He asked about what the Alliance was going to do about the loss of the beacon. The information that she had discussed with Captain Anderson was pretty sensitive, but she felt there was no harm in talking about it and she knew she could trust him after Eden Prime. As she had learned to do as a leader, Shepard looked into Alenko's eyes and saw that he appreciated that trust.

"Carry on, lieutenant."

"Commander."

Shepard walked away to find the rest of her team. Her head still hurt and the rest of her body was beginning to ache too. She'd probably need a workout soon to shake out the kinks. Still, she needed to see how the team was doing. She would not be able to rest until the welfare of her marines had been assured. How some leaders could put themselves so far ahead of their people was beyond her. Yeah, she was vain and like screwed up men and the limelight a little too much, but caring about her troops was not one of her weaknesses.

_**SSV Normandy **_**– 2215E – Mess Hall**

**Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams**

She picked up the cut of prime rib for the fifth time in as many minutes and then put if back down again. It was the best chow she'd been served in a year and she hadn't eaten in nearly a standard day, but she just wasn't hungry…not after what had gone down on Eden Prime. The thought of food sickened her right now. Ash closed her eyes for a moment and could still see Lieutenant Chun impaled on that spike, squirming and crying out for help. But what could she do, one marine against that army of geth? The whole of the 212 and the 214 were annihilated in a carefully orchestrated ambush. She remembered telling Chun that she'd cry at his funeral and she choked back a hot, shameful tear.

If only she could get her hand to stop shaking.

When she saw that ship coming down toward the city she knew it was trouble. She told the company commander to stay put and to conduct an irregular campaign against the enemy, but the young staff lieutenant would have none of that. They had to save Major Kendall, idiot though he was. When they got back to the Forward Operating Base, named FOB Beatrice after Kendall's girlfriend, the major came running at them, screaming bloody murder about rampaging robots. The fact that he was in his skivvies would have been hilarious if not for the massacre that followed. As the company closed ranks around the mad major the trap was sprung.

Still holding the fork with a bite of meat on the end, Ash blinked a few times, trying not to laugh or cry hysterically. She was a tough cookie, but this pushed her to the edge.

"Is anyone sitting here," Williams heard someone say. It took a moment to snap back to reality.

"Umm, no ma'am."

Lieutenant Commander Shepard took the seat across from her and set her tray on the table. "Prime rib looks pretty good, huh? Captain Anderson had the chef break out the best stuff…said we deserve some good food."

Ash nodded. "An army moves on its stomach, right?"

Shepard gave her an impressed smile. "You've studied your Napoleon."

Chief Williams had studied many things, all to no avail. She'd often prided herself on knowing three times as much as any of the officers that led her. It was nice to finally be appreciated for her learning. "Among other things, ma'am."

The commander pointed to unconsumed meat on Ash's tray. "You should eat that. Some hungry private is going to come along and snatch it from right under your nose."

Williams let out a reluctant chuckle. She found herself grateful that Shepard sat with her. After Eden Prime, her respect for the commander came in Spades. There was a time when she thought all of the media attention on Shepard was just hype, but the lady kicked geth ass planetside. Ash popped the piece of beef into her mouth and it was pretty damn tasty. "Best grub I've had in ages."

"Oh, you're going to love it here then," Shepard said as she gestured around the mess hall with her hand. "Admiral Hackett donated his staff chef to the cause. You're getting real cooking on this ship."

Ash didn't quite know how to take it at first. In the colonial service, leadership and materiel were not the only things lacking. Plastic bags of disgusting processed food, called MRE's, were standard fair. "This is much too good for me, ma'am. I'm used to those-"

"MRE's? Yes, chief, I've had my share of those. I liked the ravioli and the brownie, but the jellified ham…."

Ash's face scruntched up. "The ham! It was disgusting. In a garrison gig on the Charon Relay, we got a shipment and they all froze. It was eating gooey bricks. The sauce only made it worse."

Shepard made a sly, sideways look. "But did you use the little bottles of Tabasco sauce? Those and tootsie rolls…they were gold."

Williams laughed again. "I'd eat a poop salad with enough Tabasco and a tootsie roll chaser." That hot sauce killed the awful flavor of the meal. Sometimes, Ash was not the paragon of civilization, being a tough marine. But then, there were other times where her culture came through.

There was a certain commonality among military personnel, food being one of them. Shepard guffawed at the inside the service joke, something that Ash would not have expected. Shepard seemed a pretty straight arrow down on Eden Prime and it was weird to see her let her hair down. Ash thought, _A leader who is actually human?_ The idea was unfathomable and she wanted to dismiss it out of course, but Shepard's actions seemed genuine.

"Yeah," mused the commander, "got to love those MRE's." Shepard's expression then became serious. "Chief Williams, how are you holding up?"

Ash felt like the universe had just banked hard to port. All thoughts of Eden Prime had been banished for a while and she just noticed that she had been eating and half of her prime rib was gone. She had to think about the question and then felt guilty about her answer. "Ma'am, was there any way for you to have gotten there sooner? You know…."

"To save your unit?"

Williams nodded. She knew deep down that Shepard's squad had beat feet to get to the dig site and that Shepard made it abundantly clear that saving people was more important than the beacon. Then, before the beacon itself, the commander threw herself at Lieutenant Alenko to knock him out of the way after the beacon took hold of him. She saw Shepard's eyes and the commander didn't bat an eyelash at the thought of sacrificing herself for Alenko. There was no hesitation, no remorse. "I…I'm sorry, commander. I know you did everything you could. Just seeing everyone killed…one by one…." Then, she felt guilty again. Captain Anderson and Commander Shepard personally approved her transfer to the _Normandy_ and they publicly praised her bravery and ability. Ash wasn't use to that and she would make sure that she paid that kindness back. "Don't worry about me, commander. I'm tough as nails. I won't let you down."

"No apologies, Williams. I wish we could have gotten there sooner too. I called us straight into the hot LZ to get us as close to the fighting as possible. This mission might have really gone sour if we hadn't have run into you. You helped to save the city."

Ash blushed at the praise and found that it was something that she liked…if it came from a sincere leader. "Commander…in the moments before you arrived, Lieutenant Merz lead the company directly back to FOB Beatrice. I saw that the geth ship had dropped troops in the vicinity…a lot of them. I tried to warn the lieutenant that we would be facing a battalion-sized force with heavy weapons. Those weren't good odds. Merz had to find his precious major and, sure enough, Kendall came screaming from his tent, dressed only in his skivvies with a look of utter terror twisting his face. He stuttered in fear, snot and tears running down his cheeks and mouth."

"He sounds ate the hell up," Shepard said, using a term for a lousy marine.

Ash shook her head. "You don't know the half of it. As he gibbered like a monkey, I saw a flashlight head up behind a near ridge. This was an ambush. And for them to use that worthless waste of space, Kendall, as bait, was just too much."

Shepard looked grim at the recounting of the battle. "The geth are smart. What we saw down there rivaled the tactical skill of any sapient race."

"Before I could call out," Ash continued, "we had fire coming from all directions. I pushed Nirali out of the way and tried to get to the LT. He was wasted in the first volley. All I could do was lay down covering fire and extract a few survivors. It didn't help though…one by one we were hunted down and exterminated." She felt a wave of nausea sweep over her like a tsunami. She felt the commander's hand on hers.

"You don't have to continue, Williams. I've read your report already. You did damn good."

The chief blew out a long, tense breath. "It doesn't feel like it, but thank you." She then chuckled to lighten the mood. "The last thing I saw as we made our escape is Kendall curled up in a ball soiling himself."

Shepard laughed along with her. "Did he make it?"

"I don't know…I don't care," Ash said with a shrug. "I know it's bad, but…." She became serious again. "I set up a rolling retreat with half of the survivors covering the withdrawal. We held good order until geth snipers had us pinned down. Rocket troopers then hammered us to bits while the shock troopers overran us. I lost sight of Nirali then. I was running for my life…until you came along."

Shepard held on tight to her hand, but said nothing. It was a silent affirmation that Ash fought the best that she could and was still alive to tell the tale. The chief was grateful for the gesture. Imagine Major Kendall doing something like that for her. Too bad he wouldn't get his cherished promotion now. Not.

Shepard pulled away and stood up. "Chief Williams, do you know your history?"

"Some."

"The French had their own FOB Beatrice a couple hundred years ago. It was wiped out by the Vietnamese. Sad irony, huh?"

"I'll put up with your history if you put up with my poetry, ma'am."

Shepard nodded at her. "Welcome to the _Normandy_, chief. You'll fit in fine here," she said as she walked away to put her tray on a recycle belt.

No one had ever welcomed her anywhere in the Alliance military. Normally, all she got were looks of scorn and derision. How long would the sins of the father haunt her? How long would it be before Commander Shepard found out? It would end up being the same and she could already imagine Shepard's look of disgust at her. Ash then realized that she was putting the same prejudice on the commander as had been put on her. Right now, after seeing Shepard fight, the chief would kiss the ground her XO walked on.

"Dammit Williams, this is the chance that you've been waiting for. Don't blow it!" she said to herself.

CODEX –

LZ – Landing Zone

J-2 – Joint Intelligence Officer

SIGINT – Signals Intelligence: gathering of information by electronic means.

FOB – Forward Operating Base

MRE – Meals Ready to Eat


	3. Remembrance

W/N - Just a shorty before I go. Let's look at Garrus' frustrations and Shepard's grief. I blended some military traditions to script that scene. And, don't think for a minute that Garrus' frustrations are fiction. You can't make that stuff up.

Merci beaucoup again. See you in a few days.

**C-Sec Headquarters – 0800C**

**Special Agent Garrus Vakarian**

"You have got to be kidding!" Garrus groaned out loud as he checked his C-Sec intranet mail. The turian clenched his fists as heat rose in his cheeks. He read the message again to make sure he hadn't misunderstood it. No…he hadn't. He was sure that the other 100 letters screaming his name would be just as aggravating.

"What is it, Garrus?" an asari asked, leaning over to see what was getting her friend in an uproar.

The lean turian stood and paced a couple of times before he could answer. "Maira…you won't believe this. Pallin's nitwits are asking me for another case review."

"Isn't this the third one in as many months?"

"You know how long those things take? Between source validation and the budget audits, it's a full time job just preparing for the review."

Maira smirked. "You don't have to tell me, Garrus. You're preaching to the choir."

He sat down again and scrolled to the second letter. He knew instantly that it was a mistake. "No! No! I don't believe this!"

"Garrus, you have ninety-eight more letters to go through. Do I have to call the paramedics for you?"

"Maira, get this. Pallin's bean counters are switching us to new case management software to save credits. And guess what? I don't have access to my own cases now!" Garrus threw his hands up in the air. He wasn't sure who was the enemy here, Executor Pallin or the Red Sand dealers? To make matters worse, the head of C-Sec had surrounded himself with sycophants and yes men, seeking to advance their own careers. Pallin could talk a good game about enforcement and public safety, but in the end, only the rules and compliance issues were important.

"So, how are you going to prepare for the review?"

"That's my point." He made another grunt and began typing a reply. "Please grant me access to my own cases so I can do your damn review…send." A chime sounded and he saw that a message had been sent in return. "Okay, it says that I've got to call the help desk."

Maira handed him a phone.

Garrus punched in the numbers as if he were poking Pallin in the eye, jabbing each key with force. "Hello? This is Gar- Wait a minute…. This is an automated answering system. It's telling me to send a letter to ask for access!"

Maira took the phone back. "Garrus, take a break. Let me tell you…if you stroke out at your desk, Pallin will sweep your body aside and have another agent at your desk by the afternoon."

"Maira, I just can't brush it off like that. I care about doing my job and enforcing the law. Criminals like Doctor Saleon are running roughshod over us while we push paper. It's not right."

"No, it's not. But you can't change it. C-Sec is what it is. You go head to head with Pallin and you'll lose. Your father wants you to have a long career."

Garrus sighed. "I know, Maira, I know. I just don't understand anymore. I've tried to do my job with honor and aggressively attack crime. Those things are meaningless around here. Look at who got the awards last month – Agent Dzwilos? He couldn't investigate his way out of a paper bag. An elchor could outrun him and a volus would kick the pants off of him. The man is a disgrace to the uniform."

"I know, Garrus. He is. But he never misses a compliance issue and that's what management wants. He plays the game."

"But it's _not_ a game, Maira!" Another chime sounded, telling him that another letter had come in. He clicked it and a video of Executor Pallin began running.

The Executor had an air of aristocracy to him and he held this aloof demeanor with his nose high. "Vakarian, get on a shuttle to Eden Prime immediately. You are to look into allegations that Saren Arterius murdered his fellow SPECTRE, Nihlus. Also, the humans claim that Saren orchestrated the attack on the planet. Find out what you can. You have seventy-two hours. Don't forget your case review. If you think this investigation alleviates you of that duty, you're sadly mistaken."

Garrus was taken aback. "Saren? The most revered SPECTRE in Citadel Space?"

"Whoa? That's unbelievable."

The turian shook his head. "No, it's believable. I've never trusted Saren. He's one of those who scoffs at our laws and breaks them at will. In my eyes, he's nothing more than a murdering bastard. I hate the bureaucracy, but the law is the law."

"You father would get a kick out of you investigating Saren. I know he hates the SPECTRES, especially Saren."

"Yeah, he does. Hmmm, you know, I'll bet this is just a ploy by Pallin to set me up for failure. Plus, I can't possibly finish my review. Well, too bad. This is a blessing in disguise. It gets me out of the office."

**The Human Embassy Chapel on the Citadel – 1800C**

**Lieutenant Commander Claire Shepard**

The gathered crowd shuffled uneasily, finding seats where they could. Claire sat next to Captain Anderson and Lieutenant Alenko as organ music piped throughout the chapel. She had worn her dress blues, finely pressed with a rack of ribbons set beneath the golden wings of the N7 cadre. The high collar of the uniform always made her neck itch, but this was important. This was the funeral of marine Corporal Richard L. Jenkins, SAMC.

Claire was really beginning to feel it now. She had played the possibilities out in her head dozens of times. What if she had kept Jenkins in the rear? What if she had told Alenko to keep a closer eye on him? She had lost a number of people under her various commands, but she remembered every one of them. Jenkin's naïve smile particularly haunted her this day.

She scanned the large crowd. Jenkins was a popular marine. He had this 'boy next door' type of character and was a likeable guy. The color guard had turned out in force with seven marines carrying antiquated rifles made of wood and iron. Their uniforms were sharp as knives with black berets pulled down crisply to sit above their ears. One marine carried a steel saber, polished to perfection to send Richard to his final rest. In their midst sat a casket of oak and brass covered with the flag of the Alliance.

Seated across from the crew of the _Normandy_ was a middle-aged couple and a teenaged boy along with a mix of other civilians. Claire saw them, dressed in black, weeping. It had to be Jenkin's family. She gulped hard and bit her lip to stifle the hot, moist feeling spreading through her nose and eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's never an easy thing, commander," said Captain Anderson.

"He died defending his home. His family is alive because of him."

"And you," he said.

She nodded solemnly as a lone bugler played _Last Post._ In times like these, tradition was everything. Tradition was often all they had to hold on to. A numb feeling spread through her limbs as the chaplain spoke of duty and honor and Richard's brave sacrifice. It was something she had to believe in today. Richard L. Jenkin's life had to mean something.

"Present…arms!"

The one marine raised his saber, which glittered in the lights. At the same time, the riflemen brought their weapons up to their chests, held diagonally. With sharp movements, born of precision and training, the men discharged blank rounds into the air. Claire blinked at the crack of the rifles. Twice more they fired in honor.

"Shoulder…arms!"

The skirl of bagpipes then resonated, tearing the air with grief. Claire immediately recognized _Flowers of the Forest_. On cue, a solo soprano joined in, adding her voice to the pipes. The commander tried to sing with the growing throng, but a lump in her throat caught, forcing her to only mouth the words.

"The Flowers of the Forest are all withered away."

It was her turn now. It should have been the Captain, but he said it was her duty and her honor to do. As she walked up to the casket, the color sergeant and one marine took the flag and folded it into a crisp triangle. She took it from their hands and walked slowly toward Richard's parents. _I can't face them._

Claire forced herself on and knelt in front of Richard's mother. Shepard presented the flag, trying not to look the woman in the eyes. All she could hear was her grief. Missus Jenkins took the flag and grasped the commander's hand. "Thank you, Commander Shepard. Richard looked up to you. He said you trusted him and that you protected him. I know you did everything that you could. You saved the colony."

It was like she had been kicked in the gut. She wanted to pull away, but she knew that the woman needed this and this day was not about what Claire Shepard wanted. She tried to say something moving…something that would honor the memory of this fallen marine, but all she could say was, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Missus Jenkins released her hand and Shepard stood and about faced. With slow, half steps, the officer marched back to her seat as the color guard hoisted the casket. They moved in unison, carrying Richard's body with reverence. Claire looked over to the Captain, who was dry-eyed and stone faced. She admired his control and fought to maintain her own. Even Joker kept his cool, sitting without expression, holding his crutches by his side. Pressly was a basket case though.

She knew what was coming next and the bugler sounded _Taps_, the brassy notes hammering at Claire's heart. She thought about how on Earth would she be able to send another person to their death? She could barely handle this. If this was a portent of things to come, was she up to snuff as XO of the _Normandy_? Making difficult, life or death calls would have to be done without regrets. In war, men died. It was that simple. Captain Anderson understood that.

With a shaking hand, she wiped her nose with a white handkerchief. She felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Lieutenant Alenko. "Commander, would it be inappropriate for me to hold your hand? It looks like you could use it."

Claire licked her lips. Perhaps it might be inappropriate, perhaps not. She didn't care. She lightly grasped his hand, feeling the warmth of his skin. It was a beautiful gesture of caring and she found that she liked the sensitivity that came from his being. She gave him a faint smile. "Thank you."

"Grief is not weakness," he said. It was as if he was looking right into her soul and knew her very thoughts. Were the rumors of biotic telepathy right?

She nodded, looking into his eyes. Would she be able to make the call to sacrifice him? What would she feel? She only prayed that such a time would never come.

CODEX –

SAMC – Systems Alliance Marine Corps

Last Post – A bugle call used by the Commonwealth military

Flowers of the Forest – An ancient Scottish folk tune used by the British military at memorial services

Taps – U.S. military bugle call


	4. Healing Hands

W/N - Ok, let's take a look at Tali. How does she get to meet up with the crew? Then, I'm going to try my hand (so to speak) at writing a sensual scene. This was inspired by Padawan Mage's most excellent walk through of the ME experience. Also, are things beginning to bud between Shep and Alenko? We'll see.

**The Wards – 2300C**

**Tali'Zorah nar Rayya**

It had been a cat and mouse game since she pulled the data module from the head of that Geth trooper. All Tali wanted was to gain some useful information about the evolution of the Geth to bring back to the Migrant Fleet. That would complete her pilgrimage and she could then begin her adult life. She easily disabled that lone soldier with a tech blast that froze its servos, rendering it paralyzed long enough to peel that chip out. If it felt any pain, she didn't care – there were billions of slaughtered quarians weighing in on the other side of that moral scale.

"I got more than I bargained for," Tali whispered to herself as she pressed the back of her environmental suit against a wall behind a crate. She knew she had heard too much when she played the audio recorder of the trooper's data module. She didn't know who the voices belonged to and she didn't really care…but someone else did. Before she could even get back to her ancient shuttle they were hunting for her. A Geth sniper nearly took her down before she could fully erect a kinetic barrier. The shot knocked her back, but at least the barrier took the brunt of the force, saving her life. Her pilgrimage could have been over before it really even began.

Crouched in a dark alleyway in the Lower Wards of the famed Citadel, Tali began to feel a little claustrophobic in her skin-tight suit. She tapped the controls of her Omni-tool, increasing the oxygen mix…much better. The sour sweat coating her skin began to evaporate as cooling air circulated over her body. Tali never liked wearing the suit for extended periods, but on her pilgrimage she had no choice. With her weak quarian immune system, one bug…one germ and she could be done for. For a moment, the fugitive quarian wished that she were back on the Migrant Fleet where she would roam throughout her birthship, the _Rayya_, wearing only her homespun dress and her sash, dyed purple with her family colors. The air on the _Rayya_ could be trusted. She could breathe it freely.

"No," she said quietly, strengthening her spirit. "I've got to see this through." There was a lot riding on her. Life or death, Tali could not let her father down.

She thought back on how she had fled the system where she found the module. Where could she go? Returning to the Migrant Fleet was out of the question. Beyond the shame of coming back nearly empty handed, she was not going to lead the Geth back to her people. It would be like giving the wolves the map to the lambs. Before she left, her father, Head of the Admiralty, had given her a way to contact someone…someone only to be contacted in the direst of emergencies. This was pretty dire.

And so she did it. The agent of the Shadow Broker instructed her to come to the Citadel. The Shadow Broker himself would meet Tali and that a human named Fist would protect her and take that module off of her hands. He even promised to give her some technology in return. That would make a fitting prize to present to the fleet.

So now, it was all set up. The Shadow Broker would be here soon and give her a prearranged signal to tell her that it was safe. She'd hand over the module and get a pack full of mods and upgrades. Easy as pie. Why then was her mind screaming a warning to her?

Just in case, Tali glued a handful of Tech Proximity Mines to the crates leading to her hiding place. She might be naïve, but she was no fool. The training that she received before leaving the Migrant Fleet had already saved her life more than once. She gulped hard, feeling acutely alone. Never before in her 18 years had she not been surrounded by people, such was the crowding on the fleet. Sometimes it would annoy her to be jostling around all of the time and never to have any privacy at all – even using the bathroom was a group affair. Right now though, she would pay real credits to have a mob of friendly faces around her.

Through her helmet enhanced hearing she heard footsteps approaching. Tali's muscles tensed and a cold feeling grew in her gut. She forced herself to breathe evenly. Whatever she had in this module was worth killing her for and she knew she couldn't make even a single mistake. Who were those people on the recording? What was Eden Prime?

Using a small mirror, Tali peered around the crate that she was hiding behind and her mouth went dry.

"A krogan? Wh…why would a krogan be here?" Was he the Shadow Broker? She was promised a meeting with the mysterious man personally. Behind the krogan she could see two men - quite a force to make a simple exchange with a wayward quarian. Tali was liking this less and less by the second.

The krogan looked around, obviously looking for something or someone. "I have a chip on my shoulder," he bellowed, giving the prearranged signal for Tali to introduce herself.

The krogan was armed to the teeth and so were his cohorts and the quarian knew that this could only mean trouble. Was one of the humans in the gang the Shadow Broker? There was only one way to find out.

"I have your merchandise," she said out loud, never leaving the safety of the crate. Through her mirror she could see the group turn towards her. "Let me see the mods." Tali's heart was thumping now and, in some perverse way, she liked the rush. It would make for great stories to her friends when she returned to the Migrant Fleet…assuming she made it back.

"Show me the module!" the krogan demanded. Always impatient, those reptiles. Tali only knew of them by reputation and through her studies of alien races in the Admiralty database. To actually see a krogan in person was a whole different matter. The old images in the database didn't do them justice – this guy was like a living tank, armored from head to toe and bristling with aggression.

Tali slowly raised her hand, holding the chip.

"Okay," the krogan continued, "slide it over here and we'll consider our business concluded."

_Wait a minute…this is not according to the deal. Something is wrong._ Tali's worst nightmare was beginning to materialize – she was cornered by three heavily-armed mercenaries, who had all of the advantages…well, maybe not all. "No, no, no, this is not what we agreed on. Where are the mods?"

The krogan shouldered a black shotgun, its muzzle aimed in her direction. She could see the large bore staring down at her and a cold sweat trickled down her back, settling between her buttocks. She couldn't take the krogan much less the whole gang. "This is not open for negotiation!" he bellowed. "Throw me the chip and you'll get what's coming to you."

Tali took three gulping breaths of conditioned air and sat up on her feline-like haunches. _Decide now…there's no going back._ She slowly stood up, coming out from behind the cover of the crate. "Okay, okay, I'll give you the module," she said as she slid her hand into her sash for just a second and then held up _a_ data module. Stupid lizard shouldn't know the difference. "Which one of you is the Shadow Broker?"

"You actually expected the Shadow Broker to show up personally?" the krogan asked, eliciting guffaws from the others. "And no," he said with mock sadness, "we don't work for him either. Saren sent us."

That was all she needed to know. "Here…take the module," she said as she flung it onto the ground in front of them. One of the humans stooped down in front of the krogan to pick it up, blocking the lizard's aim and Tali saw her chance. In the blink of an eye she tapped her Omni-tool and crates around the gang erupted into flash and debris. The standing human was blown into the opposite wall and toppled to the floor while the kneeling one was knocked flat on his face. The quarian moved, hoping that all of the gang had been disabled, but the krogan was unfazed. He aimed the muzzle of his shotgun right at her face and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Not pausing to thank her ancestors Tali tapped her Omni-tool again and smoke billowed up in the narrow alleyway, obscuring the krogan's view. She hadn't been entirely sure that her tech mines would work, but they certainly disabled the krogan's weapon. She might only have a few seconds at most though. With a sweep of her hand, her pistol cleared the holster and she fired blindly into the smoke, more to confuse her attackers than to do any real harm. Tali had mapped out the area in her head prior to the encounter just for this contingency and she ran towards what she knew would be the exit. _Just a couple more seconds._

She could hear the Krogan shouting and then the deafening roar of his shotgun. It was time to pick up the pace. Now at a sprint, Tali knew she would clear the smoke at any second. There was another blast and this time she felt a sting in her leg. With a gasp she toppled over, crashing into an unseen crate in a heap. She could feel air hissing out of her suit, but that was the least of her worries right now…the krogan was closing on her. In a last desperate measure, the quarian slapped another proximity mine on the ground and then blindly half stumbled, half crawled in the opposite direction.

In a moment, she cleared the smoke and behind her, a tremendous explosion tore the air. As she limped away all she could hear was the krogan's painful cursing. "Suffer, asshole."

Out of immediate danger, Tali ducked into an alcove and saw a strange green insect working on a panel. She saw that there was an open access hatch above it and she painfully climbed in. With a moment to rest, she looked down at the buckshot wound in her leg. It did not look good – part of her suit had been blown away and pellets had embedded themselves deep into her flesh. It was a raw, bloody mess. She quickly tapped off the air to that region so that her supply wouldn't become contaminated. _Contamination…._ She looked again at the wound and thought of all the microbes landing on her skin every moment.

"No…no…," she said pathetically as she banged the back of her head against the wall. It couldn't end this way, not when so much was at stake now. She knew how much the module meant to someone and maybe that was her ticket to survival. With her hand she pulled the real module from her sash and put it into a pocket. Then, she removed the sash and bound her leg with it. Come what may, one day, she would pay this Saren back.

Tali groaned as she tightened the sash around her thigh. She could feel the tears dribbling down her cheeks from the pain and, for a moment, she began to see dark spots in her vision. She hit herself in the stomach and it dulled the agony if only for a few minutes. Slowly, she brought her Omni-tool up to her tinted mask and hacked into the Citadel's floor plan and directory. "Doctor Michel…Doctor Chloe…Michel," she said haltingly, trying to focus herself. "I need medical attention, but can I trust her?"

It was then that Tali realized that she really had no choice.

**Chamber of the Asari Consort – 0900C**

**Lieutenant Commander Claire Shepard**

Yesterday was a long day, a really long day for the commander. The fact that they were now sitting around waiting for the Asari Consort didn't make her mood any better. The Alliance had presented their evidence to the Council and what did it get them? Squat. How many human bodies had to be piled up in front of the Council for them to take any action? Who, other than Saren, could have gotten the drop on Nihlus? That turian agent, Garrus Vakarian, had done an admirable job in his investigation, but the C-Sec wouldn't give him enough time to find the smoking gun. And, besides that, the Council refused to give any credence to their witnesses from Eden Prime.

"I can't believe how blind those Council pukes are, ma'am. How much clearer did you need to make it for them?" Ashley Williams told her in consolation.

Claire leaned back into the comfortable Ottoman and put her feet up. There was no use ruminating about it all day. "Thanks Chief, but if I didn't know the truth I wouldn't believe our witnesses either. First you have Doctor Manuel. You remember him, don't you?"

Ash chuckled. "No one is saved!" she said with a scrunched up face, imitating the disturbed scientist's babbling rants. The poor guy was already half gone _before_ the Geth attack.

"And then we have Mister Powell, smuggler extraordinaire."

"Mister Forty Winks….yeah, you have a point." Only two witnesses had seen Saren during the attack on Eden Prime and they were…_iffy_ at best.

Shepard nodded and looked over to Lieutenant Alenko talking to a human woman dressed in the revealing attire of an asari acolyte. He glanced back over. "Hey, this woman's brother is a private back on Earth. She's the first human acolyte here…how about that?"

"Outstanding," Claire said with a thumbs up. She thought back to Jenkins' funeral and how Kaiden held her hand. The guy really had a way of calming her nerves and she was glad that he was along for the ride. He was steady under fire too.

Ash gave a big sigh. "Between Chora's Den and here it seems that a woman's place in the galaxy hasn't moved forward since whalebone corsets."

The commander lightly backhanded Ashley on her armored stomach. "I dunno, Chief, I think your existence disproves your own statement. You're one hardcore marine."

"Ooh rah, ma'am."

Shepard shifted in her seat, crossing her legs. Sometimes, that could be a little tough when wearing armor as the cuisses and greaves covering the legs could be a bit stiff. She thought it was funny how the names of the pieces of armor hadn't changed since the days of knights and jousting. "So Williams, do you think that the Council races really are sticking it to us?"

"Dead on, commander. You know they're only thinking of themselves first. Just look at how Executor Pallin treated us."

She had to admit that Ash was right on the Executor. He wasn't a bad guy, assuming you didn't speak to Garrus about him, but he was turian first. "Yeah…unfortunately, we're just going to have to suck it up and press on."

"Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full," Ash said, using an old military phrase meaning that they both knew it was all BS, but oh well, you had to live with it. Williams was pretty used to being screwed by her own race so why should the Council races be any better?

Claire was getting pretty antsy by now waiting for the Consort. She'd gone out of her way to track down General Septimus and square things away between him and the Consort, Sha'ira. The turian leader wanted more from the asari that she was willing to give and thus he went on a smear campaign against her. Then, Shepard convinced Xeltan, the Elcor diplomat, that it was Septimus who had leaked the sensitive information and not Sha'ira. What a tangled web that was. The things people did for love. "Ash, what do you think of Septimus? Have you ever had that big a crush on someone that you'd lie and pout like a two year old?"

"Me? Nah, but I could very well imagine it. The L T over there didn't seem to think he could get that upset over a woman. I told him it was because he didn't understand women."

The commander snickered. "Good one."

"Thanks. What about you, ma'am?"

Shepard almost laughed out loud. She couldn't even remember the name of the last guy she'd slept with. God forbid that she would ever get that attached to someone to the point where she'd drown her sorrows in a bottle of gin. "Nah, me neither. I like to travel light and fast." She started tapping her foot aggressively now as if every passing moment was robbing her of life. "What's keeping them? This is bu-"

"Commander Shepard, the Consort is ready for you. She would like to see you…alone." It was Nelyna, the receptionist.

Shepard took a deep breath and pushed out any irritation that she felt at the lengthy wait. The disappointing day was hers alone and there was no reason to take it out on others by being snappy. She smiled up at the Asari acolyte. "Thank you," she said and then looked at Ash. "Take lover boy with you and head back to the Embassy. I'll meet you back there."

"You got it, commander."

Claire made her way up the stairs to the Consort's chamber once again. She looked back to see the human acolyte give Alenko a hug and there was a surge of heat in her cheeks. Was that a pang of jealousy? She scoffed and rolled her eyes. May she be struck down by Zeus on Olympus himself if she ever got that wound up over someone. At Sha'ira's door, she rang the bell. She liked the sound of it as it tinkled like wind chimes. This place really did have a comforting, healing presence even if it was a brothel of sorts.

The door opened and she saw Sha'ira seated on a cushion on the floor, wearing a flowing, form-fitting dress that would be scandalous on any human world. The asari gestured that Shepard take a seat in front of her. As before, just being in the presence of the Consort had an intoxicating effect. She nodded in thanks and sat cross-legged on the open cushion.

"Commander, you look so uncomfortable in that armor. There is no need for defense here. Should you wish to change, by all means, I want you to be relaxed."

"That sounds like a great idea. I think I'll take you up on that."

Sha'ira pointed to a robe on the wall in front of a changing room and Claire rose and went over to take it off of the peg. She slid into the room and released the catch on her cuirass, popping the breast plate off of her chest. It came off like a suction cup and that did feel better. Next, came her gauntlets, vambraces, and rerebraces covering her arms and hands. Finally, she pulled off the cuisses and greaves, freeing her trapped legs. Every day, she found new respect for the likes of Henry V or The Black Prince for having worn and fought in such heavy gear like turtles. Once she retired, she was going to hang up the armor for good and never willingly put another suit on. She slid the robe over her bare skin and tied the string in front. She took a moment to rub the terry cloth on her cheek, feeling the plush fabric. She was beginning to see the attraction of being with the Consort and maybe, Septimus wasn't so crazy after all.

Shepard returned to sit on the cushion before Sha'ira and she noticed how the asari's blue skin seemed to glow iridescent under the lights. Sha'ira grasped both of her hands and thanked the commander for speaking to both Septimus and Xeltan. "It was my honor to aid you," Shepard said with a bow.

"You are too kind, commander. But I would not expect you to aid me out of the kindness of your own heart," Sha'ira said, but indeed, it was Shepard's own kindness that brought her to Chora's Den to solve the dispute. The asari continued, "I also have one more thing to give you…if you are interested."

"I'd be honored."

The Consort brushed her hand on Claire's cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. "I offer a gift of words…an affirmation of who you are and who you will become. I see you; your uniform fits as though you were born wearing it. You are a soldier through and through…proud, solitary, alone, but it gives you strength. It is that strength that people are drawn to. It is why you lead and others follow without question. You will need that leadership in the battles to come. This may be who you are, but it is not who you will become. It only forms the basis for you future greatness. Remember these words when doubt descends, commander."

It was as if Sha'ira had reached into Shepard's soul and had bared her thoughts and fears. The commander bit her lip, suddenly feeling vulnerable and weak. It wasn't a feeling that she liked and she looked away. Sha'ira's finger ran down Claire's neck to her collarbone. Her skin tingled where the asari's finger had been and she inhaled sharply.

"Close your eyes and relax, Claire," the Consort said in a soothing voice as she cupped Shepard's chin.

The commander surrendered her will and closed her eyes. She could sense Sha'ira moving behind her and then felt a tug on the back of her robe. Warm, gentle hands worked the robe down her back and then guided her onto the carpet. She heard the robe plop nearby. The fingers dug deeply in the muscles of her neck, soothing out the tension, the disappointment, the anger. It was like the Consort was in her heart, digging out every hurt and letting it flow into her asari body. Claire's father…the Council…the Ambassador…none of it mattered now as the hands made their way down her back, kneading and rubbing. Her skin felt alive as if every pore had been opened to the cosmos and she was soaking up the healing energy of the universe. Even Sha'ira's scent left her calm and rejuvenated.

The hands worked on her buttocks now and Claire licked her lips. It was as if she could feel the beating of the asari's heart. She felt Sha'ira lean on top of her, the Consort's body now completely covering her. Warm lips touched her ear. Words were whispered. "Do you want more?"

Shepard couldn't speak, but merely nodded. A soft hand pushed gently between her thighs. She gasped, releasing the last of the darkness that had built up in her.

**CODEX – **

Cuisses - a form of medieval armor worn to protect the thigh

Greaves – shin armor

Vambraces – armor for the forearm

Rerebraces – armor for the upper arm

Cuirass – armored plate protecting the chest

Henry V – King of England at the Battle of Agincourt

Edward, the Black Prince – Prince of Wales at the Battles of Crecy and Poitiers


	5. Broken Fist

W/N - What's a gal with a sore ankle to do? Write more story. Let's look at Papa John and see more of the intell angle. I'm trying out a lot of new things and new scenes like the last chapter as romance isn't my forte. John Shephard isn't really a nice guy, but he means well. Then, it's back to raw action. To give a sense of realism, I have a fair amount of military or tactical terminology which is explained in the CODEX below. If you ever have the displeasure of having to sit through one of my briefings it'll sound like a foreign language and I don't explain the acronyms.

I had a strange inspiration for a parody too - Krogan ballet.... That goes along with Elchor Hamlet or even Volus synchronized swimming.

Some swearing and violence. Please enjoy and don't hesitate to say hi.

**Earth – 1300Z – Langley, Virginia**

**Systems Alliance Intelligence Branch Headquarters**

**Admiral John M. Shepard – Director of Systems Alliance Intelligence**

The videos were horrifying. Not that he hadn't seen things like this before, but the images coming in from Eden Prime defied imagination. He tried to swallow, but ended up coughing instead. His eyes were riveted to the screen, watching as that monstrous ship ascended into the red sky…the ship that he already knew about and kept hidden from the Alliance.

"What have I done?"

The marker on the video indicated that it came from the helmet cam of one, Lieutenant Commander Claire Shepard. A time stamp clocked upward as the ship, swathed in red lightning, disappeared into the clouds. All throughout the playback a grating hum reverberated from the speakers.

"What is that, off in the distance?" a man asked, obviously in awe of the deadly vessel.

"It's a ship…look at the size of it!" a woman said. The Director did not recognize either of the voices.

John Shepard sighed heavily and then leaned back into his leather seat, but the comfort of his old chair brought him no solace today. With his finger, he switched the point of view from his daughter to that of Staff Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko. Shepard paused the video to call up Alenko's service record.

"Biotic, huh? He seems to have his shit together."

The Director was reasonably pleased with the man he was reading about. No slackers would be on his daughter's team – he would make sure of that. Should this Alenko ever bring harm to her there would be hell to pay. He would make sure of that too. Then, he scanned the sheet of the other team member, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. A frown came to Shepard's lips and his brows furrowed. This Williams…she came from bad stock. With a heritage as shameful as hers it was a wonder that she even enlisted. He snorted in distaste at the sight of her picture. His daughter was too good to serve with the likes of Williams.

He resumed the playback and watched as Alenko turned around to look at Claire. Her face was set with angry determination. He knew that look in her – she always had that growing up. There was no stopping her when she had that look. John Shepard began to shake. Not too long ago he was willing to sacrifice lives to bring humanity together to face a new threat and advance their cause in the Council. It seemed so easy. He might have even been willing to sacrifice his daughter, but now, seeing her face he felt a deep shame and disgust for what he had done. She could never know about this…ever.

He picked up a decanter and poured himself a stiff shot of Bourbon. In one, long gulp he practically inhaled the heady drink. He felt his nerves soothing as the familiar warmth slid down his throat. Bolstered with liquid courage he realized that following through with the original plan was the only way out of this mess. He and his longtime colleague, Penelope, had prepared an intelligence report and it was time to play that hand.

He tapped the intercom to his assistant. "Chad, get me a secure line to the Alliance Embassy on the Citadel."

"Yes, sir."

On his monitor the image of Ambassador Donnel Udina appeared. The ambassador raised an eyebrow, appearing annoyed at the interruption. "Director Shepard…."

"Ambassador Udina, I would not have called you unless this was important. I know how busy you are."

"Indeed. What do you want?"

_Insufferable bastard._ "Ambassador, is Captain Anderson with you?"

"He is. Just a moment." Udina turned around and made a snapping noise with his fingers. "Anderson, come over here. It's the Director of SAI."

A few seconds later the captain appeared on the monitor along with Claire Shepard. The Director paused for a moment and studied his daughter's face. She had this odd, almost vacant smile like she was off on another world. "Captain…Claire, it's good to see you."

"Likewise, Mister Director," the captain said.

Even Claire nodded with a warm expression. What got into her? She hadn't given him a look like that since before she was a moody teenager. "Good to see you, sir." It sounded like she meant it.

How he had longed for that moment and he would savor it in his memory for all time. There was no way she could ever know the truth and told himself that it was all for the good of humanity. "I'm going to send you two AIR's," he said, talking about the Alliance Actionable Intelligence Report, the intelligence community's format for disseminating information that could be used immediately by the warfighters. He tapped the _send_ key and the data transmitted through the relay network real time to the Citadel. Captain Anderson opened the files and began to read them with Udina and Claire looking over his shoulder.

"This is great intell on geth weapon parameters and shield strength," Claire said. "It'll be of much use in the field. I'll make sure our S2 takes a look." She seemed quite impressed by the information.

Anderson pointed at the second AIR. "Sir, this information is about the mystery ship…. How did we get so much so quickly?"

"We have significant SIGINT assets deployed around the Eden Prime relay and my daughter apparently had the wherewithal to turn on her hardsuit sensors during the counterattack. Well done, Claire." Indeed, the document gave a detailed report of how the ship was communicating with the geth as well as their C2 or the command and control that was exerted over the troopers. All of this would save lives in the coming battles. Knowing how your enemy fought was a maxim of the famous Sun Tzu.

Claire gave a head nod and Anderson seemed satisfied with the answer. "This is very much appreciated, sir," said the captain. "It's good to see that we're all working together on this."

"My pleasure, captain. Now, if you'll excuse me, might I have a word with my daughter?"

Anderson smiled. "Of course. Good day to you, sir," he said and stepped away from the screen. Udina was already gone.

Claire took his place and he didn't detect a hint of the characteristic irritation that she always showed towards him. "Claire, I told you that the power of my office is at your disposal. I know that this information will save countless lives."

"It will, sir. I really do appreciate it. I have to admit I was skeptical until now."

"You were right to be. I just want you to know that I'm doing this all for you."

She blushed and looked away for a moment. "Sir, while I'm glad, this is for the Alliance and more specifically for the crew of the _Normandy._ They're the ones that will bear the brunt of the conflict."

Claire was always a selfless leader. It was something he was proud of deep down. Why did he never show it or tell it to her? Her mother was always so good at that. He forever told himself that it was only to make her tougher, stronger…able to make the hard choices that were necessary in war. But now she _was_ tougher, she _had _made hard choices. Eden Prime proved it. Claire was all over the vids again as a hero twice over. She had pretty much saved two planets in her career now. "You're right. I just want you to be safe," he said. Then, he summoned up to courage to add, "And…I'm proud of you."

This took her aback. He could see her eyes mist up and she looked down, biting her lower lip. He could see a 12-year-old girl again who was enamored of everything that her father was. This convinced him that everything he had done was worth it. A lot of relatives of the dead on Eden Prime might not see it that way, but this was bigger than them. "Thank you…father."

"And, one more thing Claire; expect a promotion to Staff Commander shortly for your work on Eden Prime. I wanted to be the first to tell you."

"I was just doing my job."

"But a fine job it was," he said. "Well, I'd better let you go. I know you have a lot going on." There was more that he wanted to tell her, but now was not the time. It might make her suspicious. The Shadow Broker had given him a lot more on what was to come. Saren and a gangster named Fist had betrayed the infamous information dealer and they would pay. A krogan bounty hunter was already on the job and a wayward quarian would provide some vital evidence. Claire would find out soon enough. By following the trail, she would talk to the volus, Barla Von and he would tell her the same things. Better that it come from him.

Claire put her palm up on the screen. "I…I'm glad we spoke. This meant a lot to me. Good day, sir." With that, her image faded into black. John Shepard then took time to savor the moment. Whatever had gotten into Claire he was glad that it did. He downed the rest of his glass of Bourbon and then activated the cyber worm that destroyed all evidence of his knowledge of the mysterious Geth ship prior to Eden Prime. The world would never know.

**Chora's Den – 0600C**

**Lieutenant Commander Claire Shepard**

Everything fell into place now – saving Doctor Michel, recruiting that hulking krogan, Urdnot Wrex, and finding out that a young quarian had uncovered critical evidence. It all led back to Saren. In some suspicious way, Claire thought that it was all too easy. Barla Von, the Volus agent for the Shadow Broker seemed to almost be leading her by the nose. Forces beyond her understanding _wanted_ her to find the evidence and nail Saren.

"Well, Barla Von did say that Saren and Fist had betrayed the Shadow Broker," Kaiden said quietly as he crouched down behind Shepard at the door of Chora's Den. They had come to take Fist down and to pry the quarian's information from his grubby hands if necessary. Shepard had shared her suspicions with Alenko as they approached – she did not like messy loose ends and she did not like being played.

With the muzzle of her Tsunami assault rifle at the low ready, she led the team right up to the door and then pulled her visor down. She bent down on one knee and held up her fist to bring the team to a halt. There had been no time to practice the assault and going in cold was never a good idea especially when they had three new members, whom Shepard had never fought with.

Private Fredericks…at least he was Alliance Marine Corps and knew the fighting doctrine that she adhered to. He was a known quantity, albeit a young and inexperienced one. Whenever Shepard looked at the guy, she saw even more snot running down his face than with Jenkins and he was always thinking with the wrong head…that jarhead.

Garrus Vakarian? That stunt that he pulled back in Doctor Michel's office did not do him any favors with her. He took a wildly risky shot at a man holding the doctor hostage and nearly killed the doctor in the process. It would take a bit for him to build some street cred with her. He was young and brash and was bitter about something in his job. That was a bad combination.

And finally, she had Wrex, a grim, brutish krogan, who was even more of a wild card than Garrus. From the moment Shepard met Wrex, the word "kill" had come out of his mouth 17 times in five minutes, mostly about Fist. This whole operation could go to shit in a heartbeat. She would have been happier just bringing Ash and Alenko, but the turian and the krogan wouldn't take no for an answer and she had no time to argue.

Shepard looked back at the stack. She needed to look into everyone's eyes to see that they were ready. If someone was squirrelly, you could see it in their eyes. One by one, she made eye contact and saw the steely determination in each member. Only Fredericks seemed a little nervous. She pointed to the private and motioned him to the rear, the safest position in the stack. So, by the time he went through the door it would be over one way or another. Claire wasn't going to have another Jenkins on her hands. She was tired of hearing _Flowers of the Forest _on the pipes and giving Alliance flags to weeping parents. The boy would need some seasoning before she would let him get really dirty. Instead, she would have Kaiden and Ash going in first and second – with the element of surprise, those positions were also safer. They would be through the door before anyone knew they were there. Kaiden could also sweep for traps too with his tech skills. Wrex would be number four and Garrus, five. That left her in the hot spot, number three. It was the best position to control your team, but, when you made entry, the enemy normally wised up just as the third person was coming through the fatal funnel.

_This is what N7's get paid for._ As the team leader she would have it no other way. The team members were her responsibility. Just the thought alone of the N7 community coming down on one of their members for cowardice was enough motivate top performance in every operator. Such shameful things have happened in the past and there was always a humiliating ceremony that banished the offender from the hallowed halls, never to be seen again.

Claire would be damned to hell before she let such a disgrace befall her or her family. A patch on her shoulder clearly stated that intent – _Death before Dishonor._ On the patch the embroidered image showed a man with a dagger facing a Thresher Maw. The man's face held no fear, only a calm resignation of death. Every N7 had to have stared their own mortality in the face and that elite group ate fear for breakfast every morning. Claire thought of that one night in Selection when the team was rounded up, blindfolded, bound hand and foot and forced to leap from a hover ship into a dark and turbulent ocean. That night nearly broke her, but she would have sooner drowned than given up.

The commander did a final sync between her rifle optics and her helmet mounted sight – it would be point of aim/point of impact. Wherever the muzzle went, so would the rounds. Just ahead, Kaiden slapped up a sensor spike on the door, sending electronic and inaudible pulses into Chora's Den which echoed back images of the hostiles inside – Fist definitely knew someone was coming. About twenty heavily-armed punks waited inside, weapons trained on the door. For the unwary, this would be a death trap. Claire sucked on her lower lip for a moment, thinking. She would have preferred practice assaults in a simulator, but that was impossible. Upon entry, the team would be struck from ahead, above, and from both flanks…and, they were outnumbered.

Well, did she want to live forever? _Tourjours l'audace…_always bold. And besides, these guys were punks, not cold-hearted turians or rampaging krogans.

It was now or never. Soon, patrons would begin showing up and the whole operation could degenerate into a bloodbath of civilian casualties. That would go over _really_ well with C-Sec. "No civilian casualties…understood?" she asked of the team. Only Wrex seemed unconvinced. While the ROE or rules of engagement would allow them to take down any hostiles, collateral damage was unacceptable.

As per tactical doctrine, Claire snuggled in right behind Ash, her crotch pressed right into Ash's butt and the entire line did the same. This allowed every member to sense the movements of the others and react accordingly. Every member had an assignment and a mission – there could be no mistakes.

"Weapons free. Green light, green light," she said and Kaiden activated the electronic breach, forcing the door open. Ash immediately threw two flashbangs through the opening. A loud, sharp _crack _tore the morning air and Claire could feel the concussive force even outside. She could gladly imagine how those _inside _felt. Kaiden was already going through the door, glowing blue with biotic power. Ash pressed in the opposite direction, her assault rifle barking out in deadly intent.

The commander stepped into the fatal funnel and immediately buttonhooked to the left to follow Kaiden. Behind the bar, one of Fist's men still staggered from the blast of the flashbangs. Shepard saw a shotgun in his arms and that was all she needed to know. Anyone armed in any way was fair game. She raised the muzzle and pressed the trigger, sending a burst that ripped through him from chest to nose. "Tango down, pressing left." Now, the whole arena was ablaze with small arms fire with rounds pinging off the walls around her.

Another merc popped out from behind the pole on the high stage and unloaded a stream of fire into Wrex. The commander involuntarily glanced back and saw the krogan stagger from the enemy fire, but his barriers and armor seemed to stop most of the damage – it only made him angrier. With a feral growl, Wrex swung his shotgun high and pumped a shot at the merc, who tried to duck behind the pole. With the first shot, the pole was blown away, splintering into pieces. Claire saw a wicked smile come over Wrex's scaly lips. The second shot tore half the merc's chest away, spraying blood onto the ceiling.

The commander fell in behind Kaiden, the barrel of her rifle protruding just past his right shoulder. The lieutenant was still glowing bright blue, with tendrils of power swirling around him like a tornado. Shepard had known other biotics, but this was something to behold. Few humans could hold a candle to Kaiden, who was like a floodlight in comparison. With a flick of his wrist, Alenko sent a merc flying overhead like a missile and Shepard nearly had to duck. The hapless man wailed until he slammed head first into a wall. "Tango down!" the lieutenant shouted over the din.

Now in a tactical echelon, they advanced forward. A merc popped up, but his head was instantly vaporized by a round. Shepard took a glance back at the door and saw Garrus cocking the bolt on his sniper rifle. Maybe the turian _could_ carry his own weight. Beyond him, Shepard could see Ash and Fredericks pressing around to the right through a hail of gunfire.

As she and Kaiden rounded the bar two mercs ran for cover behind a fallen table. With lightning reflexes Shepard placed the muzzle of her weapon ahead of their path and opened up. Lead intersected with flesh and the two flipped head over heels, spattering blood on the walls. "Two down, press forward!" These guys were just punks.

They took another few steps, half crouched, rounding their feet as they walked to keep a stable firing platform. Then, from out of nowhere, the krogan bouncer slammed into them. It had been hiding just behind the bar, waiting for the opportunity. How could she have been so blind? There was no time for recriminations though, it was kill or be killed. Shepard rotated her body just enough to avoid its claws taking her head clean off, but the full weight of the lizard crashed into her and she smashed into Kaiden. The three of them fell in a heap and all she could see was the beast's ugly face in hers. The Krogan hauled her up from the ground and held her like a toy. In the blur of movement she could see a dagger in its right hand, which it drew back for the kill. From the ground, Kaiden fired his pistol at the Krogan, some of the rounds penetrating its shields. Bullets tore through armor and hide, shredding tissue and organs, but the krogan barely blinked. As the bouncer's dagger came forward, something else rammed into them like a freight train, sending Shepard sprawling again.

Through a haze of pain, Shepard saw Wrex pick the other krogan up above his head and smash it on the ground, breaking a table and some chairs in the process. Wrex reached for his shotgun to finish it off, but caught a kick to the legs, knocking him flat on his back. His enormous hump buffered the impact, but the other krogan was on him with surprising speed. The titanic struggle between warriors came down to claws, fists, and teeth as the two rended each other like tigers in a cage. With an ungodly snarl, Wrex sunk his teeth into the face of his enemy and tore out a chunk of flesh and scales. The other krogan howled, but rammed its fist into Wrex's nose, sending droplets of blood flying.

By this time, Shepard was on her feet and jammed the muzzle of her pistol into the bouncer's ear and pulled the trigger. The lizard went limp except for a few twitches. "Get up, Wrex, we're not done yet."

The krogan sneered, but leapt up with surprising agility. "I didn't _need _any help, Shepard," he said sourly as he wiped the blood from his nose.

The commander didn't wait. "Great, just keep up with me," she said as she scrambled up to rejoin with Kaiden, who was hunkered down behind an overturned metal table. Once behind cover, she looked back at Wrex. "And thanks for _your _help."

The krogan curled his lip. Shepard couldn't tell if his was pleased or pissed. "Don't mention it."

A quick scan of the room showed that Ash, Garrus, and Fredericks had the upper hand on their side. Two mercs remained, but they were pinned down, one of them wounded. The way to Fist's back room was clear for Shepard, but she needed the whole team and time was of the essence. In a smooth sweep of her arm, she holstered her assault rifle and drew the Naginata sniper rifle, which instantly expanded in her hands. The telescoping stock and barrel made the weapon compact in its hard mount on her back, but when fully deployed, had the length and accuracy to reach out and touch someone. Her helmet mounted sight datalinked into the scope and an image of one of the merc's came into view. The merc leaned around some debris to take a shot at Fredericks and his head filled Shepard's scope.

The man never stood a chance.

"Tango down. Press forward, Ash," she said into her mike as the merc went limp like a boned fish. As Shepard switched weapons she could see Williams assaulting the last position where the wounded merc threw his weapon down and raised his arms.

Garrus was on the man a second later. "C-Sec! Get down! Get down!" he commanded, pushing his pistol into the merc's ear. The turian then twisted the man's arm into an unnatural position and pushed him to the ground, slapping handcuffs on in one move. Claire could tell he'd done this a lot.

Wasting no more time, Shepard pointed to the hallway leading to Fist's back room. "Room clear! Move forward!" This time, she took the lead ahead of Kaiden and Wrex and sprinted to the mouth of the hallway. The staccato popping of automatic weapons fire rang out as tracers whizzed through the opening to shatter bottles on the bar. Pressing her back to the wall behind cover, she hurled an incendiary grenade down the hall. "Fire in the hole!"

The grenade detonated, sending streaks of white phosphorous throughout the hall. Horrific screaming reverberated down through the opening and then a man ran by, engulfed in flames. Fredericks seemed stunned by the sight, his eyes peeled wide open and his jaw slack. Kaiden turned to finish the burning man off, but Shepard slapped his pistol down. "Let him burn, we have more important things to do." Somehow, after Elysium, she'd developed a cruel streak towards the enemy. She often paid for that cruelty in her sleep, but it would be hours before she would dream about the smell of burning flesh and right now, she had a job to do.

Ash took a quick peek around the corner and her shields flashed as bullets clipped her. It sounded like a buzzsaw had been fired up and more tracers whizzed by. "Dammit," she said with a grunt as she rolled back behind cover. "One tango left…under solid cover."

Shepard flipped her mirror out and peered into the hallway to see one last merc behind a heavy crate. This one had a support weapon, firing large caliber rounds – it would chew up her entire squad in a second if she were dumb enough to try a frontal assault. She felt a clawed hand on her shoulder and looked back to see Wrex with what could only be a smile.

"I got this one, Shepard." He gestured towards the merc and the crate flew into the air, exposing the man like one of the strippers in the club. The merc's mouth opened into a huge "O" just before Claire rolled out and put three rounds into his forehead.

Without a word, she made a chopping motion towards the door into Fist's chamber and the team surged ahead. As they sprinted along, Shepard slapped Frederick's ass. "Good job, private. Now stay focused, I need your head in the game."

"You got it, ma'am."

It was important to know the state of your troops and to keep them motivated. This fight had moved Fredericks up a notch with the commander. Once he stopped fixating on the Consort, he'd be one squared away marine. As they passed the dead merc, Wrex knelt down and touched the wound that Shepard's burst had left in the man's head. All three bullet holes were touching each other – an amazing feat of marksmanship. "Nice shot group, Shepard."

Claire gave him a wink. You couldn't fire 500 rounds a day and not be tight.

They reassembled at the entryway into Fist's inner sanctum. The krogan who normally guarded the door was eliminated back in the show room so the way was free and clear.

"No traps," said Kaiden as he removed a tech scanner from the wall. "Now it gets fun."

Shepard gave the signal to restack and the team shuffled back into single file, weapons at the ready. Packed in so tight, she could feel Wrex' codpiece poking her in the butt. "No time to get fresh, Sexy Wrexy."

"I like my women scalier and with _bigger_ humps than yours," he said, using a subtle insult to her smaller anatomy.

Humbled, Shepard let out a conciliatory chuckle. "Good one." It was important to lighten the mood occasionally and also to admit defeat. Then, with a breath, she was all business again. "Stay focused, people…speed and violence of action. But, identify your targets. We need the quarian alive."

"Could I at least wing her?" It was the Krogan again. Claire had to admit that he was a witty bastard.

"Eh, let me think…no." With that, she tapped Kaiden on the back. "Green light."

Alenko overrode the locking mechanism and the door slid open quietly. They moved as one like a long snake, each member shuffling along behind the other. Kaiden hugged the wall on his left, pistol held only a short distance from his face, far enough to prevent "recoil nose," but close enough to maintain control should someone grab the weapon. Ash pushed her assault rifle just past his right shoulder to cover that arc and Claire crouched low, keeping her rifle by their waists. A fly couldn't get past their interlocking fields of fire.

Two scraggly men rounded the corner and red beams of light shot forth from a half dozen weapons to dance on the chests of the men. Seeing the team approach, the two began to reach down for pistols at their belts.

"Don't even think it!" Kaiden shouted and the men froze in their tracks. He held up his free hand to prevent any fire from the team. "Warehouse workers…it looks like all of the guards are neutralized."

Shepard stepped forward, keeping them in the sights of her rifle. "It might be a good time to find other employment. I hear that Doran is hiring at Flux."

Both workers were quivering now and slowly put their pistols on the floor. "I never liked Fist anyway," one quipped as they fled past. When they saw the dead merc on the ground they broke into a sprint as if a Thresher Maw were after them.

"It would have been easier to just kill them," Wrex said impatiently.

"We don't kill innocent bystanders," Claire answered firmly. "But, for anyone who resists, they're fair game. Now, back in line. Let's go."

The advance accelerated at they got closer to their goal. Claire played out several rescue scenarios in her head – what if Fist had the quarian hostage? What if he were holding her in front of him? Could she pull off a shot like the one that Garrus did in the clinic? Shepard knew that she was an amazing marksman – at a walk, she could consistently put a pistol round into a man's head at 25 meters with iron sights, farther with a rifle. Still, the pressure of making that shot when everything was on the line wasn't easy. Maybe she should let Garrus take that shot. He was a damn fine marksman. Come what may, they _had _to keep the quarian alive.

At the threshold of Fist's office, she could hear a man cursing and rummaging through something. Shepard looked back and Wrex nodded to her – it was Fist. She slapped Kaiden on the back, signaling him to initiate the assault. He took a deep breath and began to glow blue.

The team moved as one, first snaking out into Fist's office and then splitting off to avoid being taken out as a group. Fist looked up and dove for cover as automated turrets came to life. Kaiden pointed a finger at one turret and it exploded in a shower of sparks. Neat trick, that. Ash kept her finger on the trigger and a hail of lead showered the desk where Fist was hiding. Pieces of paper, exploding trinkets, and credits flew into the air making the room look like a snowglobe of death.

Shepard rushed down the left flank. "Take out the last turret," she told Wrex and Garrus. Trusting them to do their job, she pressed forward to the desk. In a near choreographed ballet of combat, Ash ceased fire just as she got there to kick the desk over. Vaguely, she saw the last turret explode under concentrated fire from Wrex, Garrus, and Fredericks.

Now exposed, Fist tried to bring his shotgun to bear, but Shepard brought her armored boot up, kicking it from his hands. She then butt stroked him down across the cheek with her rifle. She had to force herself from delivering another blow against the now helpless man. There was some kind of rage in her heart and she knew she would have to get a hold of it one day or it might end up hurting someone…someone innocent.

Fist cried out, "You bitch! You broke my hand!"

Now that the bad gangster lay at her mercy, he didn't seem so fearsome as his reputation made him out to be. Shepard drew her pistol and brought it up to his eye and his tirade stopped on a dime. It was a strange line in the sand which she drew - once rendered no threat, all hostiles were to be considered prisoners and were thus afforded protection. If you resisted though, there could be brutal consequences. The commander once tried to decipher her own complex moral code, but it just gave her a headache.

The gangster saw the muzzle of the weapon in his face and cringed. "Please, don't kill me. I surrender!"

Shepard didn't budge. "Where's the quarian?" She felt nothing but disgust for the worm before her. Growing up a spacer, her upbringing was pretty sterile and controlled, but she'd read about the gangs on Earth and seen the urban decay during her occasional visits. How could the Human Race have come this far into the galaxy and still have such a blight on it? She realized how naïve she was in such things and it only made her angrier. "Don't make me ask again!"

Fist wouldn't look her in the eye. "She's not here. I don't know where she is and that's the truth."

The commander felt a presence beside her and knew it was the krogan by his bulk. "He's no use to you now. Let me kill him," Wrex said. His voice was tinged with sadistic glee.

"Wait, wait!" cried Fist, burying his face in his hands. "I know where you can find her." He took a couple of fearful breaths before he would even look up again. "She said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself.

Wrex inched forward aggressively, towering over the man. "Face to face? Impossible! Even _I_ was hired through an agent."

Fist took a moment to compose himself and seemed to gain some confidence. He even stood up to face her, his eyes focusing on hers. It was as if he were appealing to that soft, naïve side of her that she constantly wrestled with. "Even I don't know his true identity, but she didn't know that. I told her that I'd set a meeting up. But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her."

If Shepard had calmed down before, this just got her fuming again. A thousand dead on Eden Prime…and the evidence needed to nail the SOB responsible was being toyed with for credits by some low life scum. The commander had been through the Alliance interview and interrogation course and was a top graduate. She knew that the soft approach was always the best one, but there was no time here. Action had to be taken now.

She grabbed Fist around the throat and began to squeeze. He tried to remove her hand, but her genetically enhanced strength could not be overcome. The look on his face went from amusement to shock to alarm in a few seconds. It was as if he couldn't believe that so slender a woman could squeeze him like a soft banana. "Where…is…the meeting going to occur?" she asked slowly, emphasizing her words.

"Please…here on the Wards…the back alley…by the markets. Please."

She let him go and he coughed and wheezed for a moment, holding his neck. Her eyes told him to keep talking.

"They're supposed to meet right now. You can make it if you hurry."

Shepard knew the place and knew that they had to beat feet to make it. She nodded to the team and was about to tell Fredericks to hold Fist in custody. A shot rang out. For such an unsubtle race, those krogan had surprised Shepard twice in one day. She wiped Fist's blood from her face.

Ash was up with her rifle in an instant. "Drop the gun, Wrex!"

He was unapologetic. "The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him and I don't leave jobs half done."

A struggle raged between what Shepard knew to be just and what she had been taught. Sometimes, she didn't know which was which. "Wrex, we don't kill unarmed prisoners. Don't make me have to repeat it," she said with a look on her face that told him that it was more than an empty threat. The krogan backed down with a sour grunt.

What's done is done. There was no time to whine about it any more. They had to save the quarian or all would be lost. Shepard circled her hand in the air to rally the team. As they did a quick weapons check, her hard suit monitors were picking up new hostiles pouring into Chora's Den. Only Wrex seemed happy.

It was going to be a long day.

**CODEX – **

AIR – Actionable Intelligence Report; information that can be exploited right away by combat personnel such as enemy strength and position, communications or sensor frequencies, or plans and intentions

S2 – Intelligence officer at the unit level; part of the military staff system developed by General Berthier of Napoleonic France and Scharnhorst and Gneisenau of Prussia

C2 – Command and Control; the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission

The Stack – A single file formation of troops used to make entry into a structure and defeat an enemy

Fatal Funnel – An entryway in which you are cramped and silhouetted, making you an easy target for an enemy

Operator – Special Forces operational personnel

Selection – The process and training to become an operator

ROE – Rules of Engagement; dictates when, where, and how to fight a hostile force. May be based on operational or political needs

Flashbang – A type of grenade designed to stun hostiles with sudden sound and light

Buttonhook – When making entry into a hostile encounter, hug the frame of the door and step back in the direction you came from to minimize the time you spend in the doorway

Tactical Echelon – Troops arranged in a diagonal formation like a slash " \ "

Recoil Nose – When the recoil of a firearm slams the weapon back into your face. Similar to slide thumb where the cycling of a pistol's slide slices your thumb

Iron Sights – Sights unenhanced by optics. Just a front sight post and two rear sight posts


	6. Becoming a SPECTRE

W/N - Thank you so very much Thug and RICARD. Let's look at a debriefing session and the Council meeting where Shepard gets her due. I'm trying to bring the various personalities together and flesh out a few very minor ones like Fredericks and the two mopes who were with him in the lounge. We'll also take a look at Garrus' bureaucratic frustrations again - you really can't make that stuff up. I'll have a few more OC's to flesh out the crew too.

Updated 10 MAY 10.

**Systems Alliance Embassy – 1115C**

**Secure Confidential Information Facility (SCIF)**

**Lieutenant Commander Claire Shepard**

"Captain on deck!" Shepard called, bringing the room to attention. Only Joker was excused from this exercise and he always seemed to take delight in shirking this military tradition. The subtle smirk on Jeff Moreau's face through that regulation busting beard spoke volumes. Captain Anderson strode by, the picture of military professionalism. Claire's respect for the man knew no bounds – he was as sharp as they came. Still, she couldn't shake the words that Harkin had told her down in Chora's Den. _What_ was Anderson hiding? Was he really the first human SPECTRE? If so, what the heck happened? There were growing doubts in her, but her face never betrayed her thoughts and she had no desire to sully the man's reputation.

The captain waved to the gathered senior members of the _Normandy's _crew as well as Private Fredericks, who had earned a spot in this briefing. "As you were," he said and the room filled with sound of people taking seats. "You may already know this information, but I wanted to brief the crew personally. We have uncovered irrefutable evidence of Saren's guilt in the attack on Eden Prime." Anderson's jaw was firmly set and a glow of satisfaction emanated from him. Murmurs resonated in the air until the captain quieted everyone with a raised hand. "Ambassador Udina is scheduling an audience with the Council and we will be presenting the evidence this afternoon."

"What about the quarian?" asked Ashley Williams.

The captain looked over to her. "She's in protective custody aboard _Normandy_. Nobody sees her without my say so."

Shepard had personally seen to the detail and a company of marines now guarded both ship and quarian. It would literally take a Geth assault to get to her. If that happened, they all had bigger problems.

Kaiden Alenko raised his hand. "Can we trust the Council to hear us out?"

'I don't think they can deny _this_ evidence. The Alliance is major player in Council politics. It's in their best interest to let us speak." Captain Anderson then pushed his palms outward. "Let's save the questions until after. Right now, I want to hear the after-action-report from the raid on Chora's Den. Commander Shepard…."

AAR's were a critical tool of the military to critique and improve its capability. They had to be professional, but also honest to a fault. Only then could mistakes be identified and corrected. Shepard stepped forward. She knew that this was not a flawless operation and that she made some mistakes. Well, as long as you survived, you could learn. She looked over to the door to see that it was sealed and that the room was cleared to discuss up to Top Secret information.

"This briefing is classified Secret," she announced and a video of her helmet cam began to play on a large screen. "First off, our intelligence of the opposition was reasonable. We had previously been to Chora's Den and had seen the layout and had identified most of the guards," she said, pointing to a floor plan of the infamous club that was displayed to the side. "It was fortunate that we had Lieutenant Alenko and Private Fredericks to sit through several lap dances as part of the reconnaissance effort. Their sacrifice is appreciated."

The room burst out in raucous laughter and Kaiden blushed a deep red. "I was just trying to take Chief Williams' advice and get to know women better," he retorted, getting more laughs.

Shepard smirked and gave Kaiden a wink. "Well, we knew that Fist's mercs were second rate with mediocre weapons and poor armor. We had an advantage in that. The echoscan prior to entry showed us that we were outnumbered though." An image came up of Kaiden's scan, displaying nearly twenty red triangles scattered throughout the show room.

"I have to admit that our planning of the op wasn't first rate. We had only minutes from the time we learned that Fist might have had Tali until we were at the door. Additionally, I took a gamble and included two non-human members on the team at the last second," she said and saw a dark look come over Ash. She wasn't the only one either – Colin Pressly didn't seem to like the idea of aliens one bit. "I weighed the options and not inviting them had greater long-term consequences – we need the goodwill of other races to succeed in this. I truly believe that. In the end, Garrus and Wrex fought well and they are to be applauded for their bravery."

"Next…communications. I have no problem here. I knew where everyone was and what everyone was doing and I think my orders were clear and concise," she said, looking around the crowd for any dissenting opinions. There were none.

The video of the assault played on and showed Shepard getting sacked as she passed the bar. "Now for execution," she added and raised her hand. "I screwed the pooch on that one. I got overconfident and missed the krogan bouncer. Wrex saved my ass here."

Kaiden stood up, obviously distressed. "No ma'am. I was point. I should have seen him. You were cover – your job was to back me up when _I _identified a target."

"We both missed him, lieutenant, and we won't do that again, right? I tell you what…let's both buy Wrex a drink tonight."

"I can live with that."

AAR's were not meant to be floggings. That was for the Inspectors General to do. For this session, mistakes were identified and solutions proposed and life went on. "I don't think that anyone can argue that Wrex and Garrus earned their keep in this raid. The turian was fast and accurate with that sniper rifle of his. Too bad he'll be going back to C-Sec. We could use a guy like him. I'm going to put him in for a commendation with Executor Pallin."

The commander scanned the room. "Okay, anything else? Comments? Suggestions?"

Ash raised her hand and Shepard pointed to her. "Chief? You have something to say?"

Williams had a huge smile covering her face. "This sure beats garrison duty, ma'am. I've waited all my life for a shot like this and I won't let you down."

"You've been a real asset, chief."

"And one more thing," Williams said and then slapped Frederick on the back of the head, "the private here fought like a tiger. He deserves recognition." This time, it was Fredericks who blushed furiously. He shrugged and made a fist pumping motion.

The commander nodded. "He sure does. I'd just about pay for him to visit the Consort," she said and Frederick's buddies burst into a gale of laughter, some throwing popcorn at his head. Young marines just had this jarheaded testosterone-filled way about them. Shepard caught herself, thinking about her visit to the Consort and let out a nervous chuckle.

One of the other marines, Beau, stood up and began mimicking Fredericks. "Oh, the Consort's nothing like the girls back home. She is _very _special! I got the full treatment."

This got another round of laughter, but Shepard just whistled quietly to herself. She knew all about the full treatment. Another marine, Jazz, leapt right in. "Yeah, she's an asari who helps people with…things."

Fredericks turned back and threw popcorn at the two comedians. "Shut up already!"

Shepard made a chopping motion across her throat. "Okay, okay, settle down everyone. I think this is a wrap for the morning. Go get some chow and get your gear cleaned and stowed. That is all."

"Just a moment," interjected Captain Anderson. "I have one more thing. Staff Commander Claire Shepard, front and center."

Claire knew this was coming, but the timing surprised her. She marched a few paces to face the captain and saluted, her hand coming up sharply to her temple. "Reporting as ordered, sir."

He returned the salute and presented her with a blue felt covered box. He opened it and inside, she could see shining silver oak leaves that twinkled in the lights. "It is with great honor that I present you with this promotion to staff commander with all the rights and responsibilities therein. Signed this day, November 2nd, 2183 by Admiral Steven R. Hackett, Commander 5th Fleet."

Claire shook the outstretched hand and took the accompanying certificate. She then took one step back and saluted again. Captain Anderson smiled as he returned the salute and took one of the oak leaves from the box. With the gravitas of a hero of the Alliance, he pinned the insignia on one of her collars. "You have one more pin, commander. Who do you want to do the other one?"

Pinning on rank was a special thing. You had people that you loved and trusted to do it. Claire's mother pinned her last rank on, but she wasn't here today. Still, she trusted the captain. Who else would do now?

"Lieutenant Alenko, would you do the honors?"

Try as he might, he couldn't suppress the smile that bubbled up. She'd seen it before when she told him the Prothean Beacon's loss wasn't his fault and when she told him that he'd played a major role in saving Eden Prime. She found that she liked that smile. She offered him the pin and he accepted. He fumbled for a bit until Claire tilted her head up, offering him her neck. He slid the pin on her collar and she could tell that his hands were sweaty. Did that mean anything? Well, if it did, there was no time to find out. Tali had to be fully debriefed before the meeting with the Council. They had to make sure their witness was ironclad.

As Kaiden stepped away she found that her palms were sweaty too.

**The Citadel Council Chamber – 1400C**

**Staff Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko**

Wearing his dress uniform was never a pleasant experience. Biotics tended to run just a little hotter than normal people and it made the woolen clothing a bit of a sauna. He dabbed his face with a handkerchief again. Kaiden tried to mentally cool himself by watching the fountain spurt and listening to the sound of the water, but it wasn't working. He shifted his position on the park bench and looked over to the turian agent, Garrus Vakarian. He might as well make small talk. "Thanks for your help in saving that quarian. That was the smoking gun we were looking for to nail Saren to the wall."

Garrus curled his lips upward while those odd bones covering his jaw flared outward. "I knew Saren was guilty. Pallin's bean counters can't deny it now."

"You really can't stand that guy, can you?"

"It's that obvious, huh? He was a good agent once, but he sold his soul to the bureaucracy. That's why I admire your Commander Shepard. When we stopped those punks from killing Tali there were no warrants, no unrealistic operational plans approved by ten people, and no second guessing administrators. She saw her duty, she formulated an assault, and we carried it out…nuff said. If I had done the same thing, Pallin would have had my ass in a sling."

"It's that bad?"

"You don't know the half of it. There was this one time when I took down a major mod smuggling ring with Chellik…you met him already, right?"

"Yeah, we helped him out and got this girl out from Chora's Den."

"Right…well, Chellik's a good guy. But one of Pallin's morons, this Administrator Kimjo, she obstructed us every step of the way…sitting on approvals, denying resources, questioning every tiny decision. On the day of the takedown, she delayed the operation because she didn't like the font that the warrants were written in. Two years of investigation stalled because she wanted _Turian Twelve Point_ and not _Salarian Bold_. When all was said and done she claimed credit for the whole thing and hung me and Chellik out to dry for going over budget."

"Whoa, that is bad."

Garrus shook his head. "You can't make that stuff up," he said with obvious disgust. "That's why I'm going to make a really tough decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"I offered my services to your Commander Shepard and she accepted. I'll be joining you in taking down Saren."

Kaiden was a little surprised. He'd seen the turian in action, both in Chora's Den and in saving Tali. The guy's ability to handle a sniper rifle was impressive and his tech abilities rivaled Kaiden's. For a long time he'd had a deep mistrust of turians…ever since BAat. Well, Garrus wasn't the goose stepping Commander Vyrnnus. He would give the C-Sec agent a clean slate. "Glad to have you with us then. We can use all the help we can get."

Kaiden then saw Commander Shepard step off the elevator with Tali and Ashley. Ever since the commander last saw the Asari Consort she had this…_shit eating grin_ on her face and her cheeks were all rosy. What the heck did Sha'ira do to her?

Shepard stopped in front of the bench and put her hands on her hips. "Ready to get this show on the road? We have evidence to present."

Kaiden and Garrus jumped to their feet and fell in behind the entourage. He was feeling pretty proud of himself and the team right now. All seemed lost only a couple of days ago when the Council had rejected their pleas and backed Saren against all rationale. That was pretty much a low point for him. The race to take down Fist and save Tali nearly blew out his implant, the excitement was so intense.

They climbed the stairs to the Council chambers, all eyes in the tower watching them. Everyone knew something was up and they all wanted to see it – only the seemingly oblivious Keepers kept going about their mysterious business. Captain Anderson was waiting at the top of the long staircase to take them into the Council Chamber. "Come on, Udina is presenting the quarian's evidence to the Council."

The walk up the final set of stairs to meet with the Council was brisk with a lighter mood than the last time they were here. Kaiden was taking two steps at a time, practically bouncing upward. He wanted to see the faces of the Council when they reversed their decision. Even more, however, he wanted to see Shepard's face when that happened. Sure, she was his superior, but he found that he liked her…as a person and he wanted justice done in her favor.

At the top of the stairs, he could hear that the quarian's data module was already playing out for the audience. Kaiden had never met Saren and had never heard his voice before, but the lieutenant thought that he sounded just like the devil should. A slimy chill slithered down his spine as Saren spoke about Eden Prime and the Conduit, whatever that was. Then, a woman's cold voice chimed out about the return of the "Reapers." At this juncture of time, it took all of his Biotic training and focus to keep his rage in check. If Saren were standing before him he would tear the turian's throat out with his bare hands for what that bastard did. It would be a long time before he would feel normal again.

Ambassador Udina seemed to grow in size and gestured in grandiose fashion. "You wanted proof…there it is," the man said, his sharp eyes practically glowing with vigor. Normally, Kaiden couldn't stand the blowhard, but right now, he was the voice of humanity and the marine stood behind him on this one hundred percent. The lieutenant searched the eyes of the Council and for once, he liked what he was seeing. Even the turian councilor, normally hostile towards the Alliance, nodded at Udina and admitted Saren's guilt.

Kaiden let out a long, anxious breath. It was as if everything they had done up until now was finally vindicated. He chanced a look over to Shepard and he could see the same look in her eyes, but there was a fire behind them too. She was pissed that it took this long. The conversation amongst the councilors then turned to the woman's voice, which belonged to Matriarch Benezia, a powerful asari Biotic. Then, there were the Reapers to discuss. Captain Anderson and Commander Shepard presented what they knew about the mysterious machine race and how they believed that Saren would bring them back to destroy all organic life. Here's where things took a darker turn.

The look on the turian councilor's face told the tale of skepticism once more. "Listen to what you're saying," he told Shepard. "Saren wants to bring back machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible! It has to be!" It was easy to see where this was heading. "_If_ they were real, we would have found something."

This sparked something in Shepard and she became a barely contained inferno, her face twisted up like a tornado. "I tried to warn you about Saren, but you refused to listen!"

Now all of the councilors banded together against her. The asari spoke out, followed by the salarian, "The Reapers are obviously just a myth, commander…." Minds were already made up, decisions were already decided, and the blindness had come full circle.

Smoke was about to come out of Kaiden's ears. Would it take a Reaper invasion to convince them? Shepard spoke out about how the Reapers wiped out the Protheans, the most advanced civilization in the galaxy 50,000 years ago. If the Protheans fell, the Council races didn't have a prayer. The turian scoffed and told them that Saren was stripped of his status. The tone of his voice told the humans to accept it and move on.

Udina practically jumped out of his skin. "That is not good enough! You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse…send your fleet in!" he shouted in his booming voice as he made a fist in anger. One had to admit that the ambassador was passionate in his defense of humanity. Still, the Council was unmoved and the meeting was on the verge of degenerating into legalistic crap so typical of a bureaucracy.

"Every time humanity asks for help, you ignore us!" Shepard added. Somehow, the politician and the warrior finally seemed in sync.

The tension was building towards a crescendo. Udina's arms were waving about like a conductor before a symphony. "Shepard's right. I'm sick of this Council and its anti-human bull!" Kaiden was practically rooting for them and it looked like they finally got under the cold hearts of the Council.

The asari was the first to crack. "Ambassador…there is another solution. A way to stop Saren that does not require fleets or armies," she turned towards the turian councilor.

"No, it's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibility of joining the Spectres," the turian declared.

Shepard countered this and the asari gave a pointed nod towards the turian. It looked like he knew when the cards were stacked against him. What could it gain if he fought this losing battle? Turians were always methodical that way. He sighed and returned a reluctant nod to the asari. The lieutenant knew that a momentous occasion was upon them all.

"Commander Shepard, step forward," the asari said in a voice laden with dignity and strength.

There was an exchange of glances between Captain Anderson and the commander and Anderson gave her the slyest of smiles. Shepard strode forward, her shoulders thrown back and her head held high. All around, peoples of every races gathered, watching the proceedings – history was being made.

The asari continued, "It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the power and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Branch of the Citadel."

The maroon-colored salarian folded his arms. "SPECTREs are not trained, but are chosen. Individuals forged in the fires of service and battle. Those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

"SPECTREs are an ideal," the asari said, "a symbol, the embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council…instruments of our will."

Now, it was the turian's turn. "SPECTREs bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

The asari pointed directly to Shepard. "_You_ are the first human SPECTRE, commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your species."

Kaiden's eyes were riveted on the whole spectacle and he watched as Shepard bowed low. "I am honored, Councilors," she said with humble power. It seemed as if there was a collective sigh in the room and the gathered crowd was hushed and intent on every word.

Alenko was beginning to wonder what would happen now, but the discussion turned to where Saren might be and how to find him. The Council promised their full support and they adjourned. The crew of the _Normandy_ knew what "full support" meant; it normally meant squat. He was trying not to be cynical, but here, at the heart of intergalactic politics, it was near impossible. In stark contrast, Shepard made a low and sincere bow to the Council as they left.

When the Councilors were out of sight, the crew gathered around their XO. Feelings were running high and the look of pride on the faces of the marines was priceless. Ash elbowed Kaiden in the side and gave him a wink and a thumbs up. This was just the kind of thing that humanity needed. Speaking of which, there were already news feed droids hovering near the ceremony, channeling news of the first human SPECTRE to the colonies. Shepard gave them a wave with a smile. Alenko smiled too for the cameras, so caught up in the moment was he. Claire was getting justice. She was finally getting what she deserved for all of her sacrifice.


	7. CSec adventures

W/N - Thanks so much! I really do appreciate the shout outs and the feedback. Your notes have also led me to discover your wonderful fics too.

Let's look again at Captain Anderson. I wanted so show a bittersweet moment for him where he thinks back 20 years ago to what might have been. Also, as a CO, Anderson has a deep sense of history and tradition. Then, some more of Shepard and Garrus, where I hope to give the turian some depth and develop a friendship between he and Tali. I want to give the sense of camaraderie that Garrus shared with his coworkers. A few of the minor sidequests make cameos. Nothing cosmic on the CODEX, just a historical reference fully explained and some projectile weapons technology.

Updated 10 MAY 10

**The Citadel Council Chamber – 1430C**

**Captain David Anderson**

He wanted to be the first to shake her hand and she took it with warmth and respect. He'd never had any siblings as a child nor children when he was married and was beginning to think of Shepard as a little sister or maybe even the daughter he never had. Although the moment of Shepard's success was bittersweet for him, he felt nothing but pride for her. Between Elysium, Eden Prime, and saving Tali, the commander had made her bones. What finer person could have been selected to represent humanity? If only things had been a little different 20 years ago. Perhaps he would have had more things to mentor her on.

In the next moment, Shepard was surrounded by friendly faces and pats on the back. David felt an uncharacteristic jealousy – this was supposed to be their moment, mentor to student. There was a lot that he wanted to say, but the moment was lost. Fredericks was slobbering all over Claire now, while Jazz and Beau were mimicking an Asari acolyte dance. So much for the gravitas of the ceremony. Only Chief Williams sidled up to the captain. "Sir, look up there…the man in black with the blonde hair and goatee."

"Yes, chief, what about him?"

"You know, we saw him down in the markets a couple of days ago. He was _all _over the commander. I was ready to take him down, but she waved me off."

"Was he an agent or something?"

Ash scrunched up her face. "That's what I don't know. He had glossy pictures of her and wanted autographs. Said he'd followed her career since Elysium. It could be harmless, sir, but it was just kind of creepy and now he's here."

"What's his name?"

"Conrad something…Verner…Conrad Verner."

"What did the commander do?"

"She was all nice and sweet to him, signing pictures, talking about his family. He just seemed a little _too_ interested in her."

David lightly backhanded Ashley in the stomach. "Keep an eye on that guy and run some checks. I'll tap my sources too. Just remember that Shepard was a big celebrity. Wild fans will be everywhere."

Ash snorted. "Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, live register'd upon our brazen tombs."

"Pardon me?"

"Shakespeare, sir. Love's Labour's Lost…about being famous."

The captain gave her a quizzical look and shook his head with a smile. Williams was a smart woman. "How'd you end up a _marine_, chief?"

"Long story, sir. Maybe another time."

"Fair enough."

Off to the side, Ambassador Udina stood thinking long and hard. There was a twinkle in his eye as if it were the Holidays. He stepped through the crowd and faced Shepard, his finger on his cheek. "We have a lot of work to do, Shepard. You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies."

Anderson already knew what she'd need. He'd almost been there before. "You'll get access to special equipment and training. You should go down to the C-Sec Academy and speak to the SPECTRE requisitions officer."

Udina burst in like a bull as if his idea were a nuclear explosion. "Anderson! Come with me! I'll need your help to set all of this up."

The captain sighed, but knew that this was for the best. He knew that she would need her own command now, but had no idea what was really in store for him. In a flash, Udina was booking out of there – he was a man on a mission. Once something got into that man's head, don't get in his way. It was precisely how he'd gotten to be the Ambassador to the Citadel in the first place.

But one thing was for sure, he was damn proud to be the Captain of the _Normandy_ right now. There was no finer vessel in the Alliance Navy and certainly no finer crew. David was really missing being aboard his ship right now, missing the organized bustle of activity and singularity of purpose. The navy had been his life and he loved the people in it – their sense of duty, honor, and commitment to defending the Alliance. He remembered the time in which he was given a VIP tour of the _HMS Victory_, berthed in Portsmouth Dockyard in England. She was an ancient ship, build of wood and canvas, with tall masts of oak and iron cannon. She was the Royal Navy's most famous warship, flagship of the fleet that defeated French Admiral Villeneuve at Trafalgar, England's most glorious naval victory. Standing on deck, he could feel the life in the timbers and feel the pride that went into creating such a masterpiece of fighting sail. He knew what Admiral Nelson felt when the great commander looked out over his sailors and marines. Every great leader who ever commanded a warship has that connection to his or her ship and the crew that serves them.

**C-Sec Academy – 1600C**

**Staff Commander Claire Shepard**

She had to admit that this place was pretty cool. "It's huge," she said, looking up at the cavernous interior. A couple of turian agents walked by and nodded a greeting.

Kaiden seemed a bit distracted by the bustle of activity. Officers were running around and people everywhere were talking at once, filing complaints, telling their stories, or giving confessions. The din was almost overwhelming and it seemed more so to the Biotic lieutenant.

"This way," Garrus Vakarian pointed. They took a few steps towards a grand staircase that led down to the training area and the turian halted. "Commander, thank you for accepting me into your crew. It means a lot to me."

"Honestly, Garrus, I was a little concerned about you after the firefight in Doctor Michels'."

He seemed a little chastised, his head down as if he was thinking about it. "I know. I was a little rash during that action."

Claire patted him on the shoulder. "But you more than made up for it during the assault on Fist. Consider yourself very welcome on our team. I think that Captain Anderson will welcome you too."

"I would like that very much."

Shepard tilted her head down the staircase. "So, what's down there?"

What had to be a turian grin came over Garrus' face and his cheek bones pulled back. "I think you're going to like this place, commander. Here, follow me."

He seemed to know where he was going and bounded down the stairs at a trot, his long, thin legs carrying him several steps at a time. They stopped in what looked to be a warehouse where one of the keepers was doing whatever it was that keepers did. Shepard quickly aimed her scanner at it and snapped a picture of it. That salarian, Chorban, was probably going to get her in trouble for scanning the keepers, but he had a good point – it was all in the name of science and no one really knew anything about those bugs. Plus, the cash was decent.

Garrus picked up the pace, appearing positively excited. "Just over here." He loped up to a desk where another turian was sitting. "Ranma!"

The turian looked up from behind a clear glass monitor. "Garrus! What brings you down here? Need a new mod?"

"Actually, I want you to meet someone," Garrus said, gesturing to Shepard.

Ranma stood and bowed to the commander. "I'm Ranma, the requisitions officer for C-Sec. Good to meet you."

"Likewise, I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy."

"I noticed that on my screen. Can I show you any equipment?"

"By all means," Shepard said and Ranma gestured to a wall that began to slide open, revealing a treasure trove of weapons, armor, mods, and ammunition. Shepard had never seen anything like it and she was like a kid in a candy store. A beautiful assault rifle caught her eye and she was drawn to it. _As if an assault rifle could be called beautiful_, she thought. She let out a nearly girlish giggle. "May I?"

Ranma nodded. "Please. However, you should know that the HMWA VII is reserved for SPECTREs only," he told her as he was setting up an account. "Oh, this must be a mistake. The system is telling me to offer you our select stock…SPECTRE. Well, I heard about that, but I didn't realize that it was you. Sorry, commander."

"No offense taken," Shepard said. She pulled the bolt back and checked the chamber to make sure it was empty. A professional always adhered to safety protocols and always knew the status of their weapons. Satisfied that the weapon was safe and empty, she placed the assault rifle on the checkout table. "One of these…and one of those," she added, pointing to a shotgun and a sniper rifle as if she were shopping for clothes.

Kaiden got the shotgun while Garrus took down the sniper rifle. The turian cradled the weapon lovingly as if it were a baby, stroking its fine metal finish. "I could put a round through a tick's butt at a thousand meters with one of these."

Ranma began ringing up the total and pulled down some cleaning kits. "You'll

need some bore brushes and cleaning rods and here's some of our SPECTRE solvent. It'll get the carbon out of the bore right quick." He then pulled down some hard metal cases, one for each weapon. "I can have these delivered to your quarters so you can carry them around when you're off duty."

"Thanks."

The Requisition Officer picked up the assault rifle and did his own safety check. It wasn't that he didn't trust Shepard's check, it was just protocol. You never accepted a weapon that you didn't personally inspect. "Hey Garrus," he said, "you'll never believe this."

Garrus turned and put his hand on his head as if he was expecting something very bad. "Oh, what?"

"Administrator Kimjo...she's now Assistant Executor Kimjo."

"Another promotion? You've got to be kidding me? She couldn't investigate her way out of a paper bag! You remember the time I got chewed out for stopping that bank robbery ring?"

"Yeah, wasn't that Kimjo who put you on report?"

Garrus shook his head sadly. "Yeah, that was her. I worked 30 straight hours to get confessions, evidence, and to draft the warrants. She accused me of fraud on my overtime voucher. You can't make that stuff up."

Ranma let out a cynical laugh and then they both made a shooting gesture at each other with their fingers. "No good deed goes unpunished," they said in unison.

Garrus shrugged. "At least I got a nice letter from Barla Von. Well, Pallin's numpties won't have me to push around any more – I've signed on with Commander Shepard. I'm going to submit my resignation today."

Ranma narrowed his eyes and flared his jaw bones. "You're kidding, right? What's did your father say? You know he's a C-Sec man to the bone."

"Uh, he doesn't know yet. I'm going to see him after I talk to Pallin."

The Requisition Officer sat back and shielded his face as if he were going to be struck. "Oh, good luck with that, Garrus. I wouldn't want to be your shoes."

"It's for the best, Ranma. I've got to do this…for myself. I don't want to think back on my life and be just another beaten down bureaucrat. I want to help take down Saren."

By now, Shepard had put the weapons in the hard case on her back. She was bouncing with excitement, ready to try these babies out. She would get her chance soon enough.

"Commander," Ranma said, getting her attention. "I got a message that you are to report to the training center ASAP for orientation to the SPECTREs."

She patted Kaiden on the back. "Lieutenant, please go help Garrus get checked in on the _Normandy_. I'll let you know how my training goes. I might be a few days so you guys go grab some R and R and please let the skipper know what I'm up to so he doesn't think I'm slacking."

He turned back and winked. "You could fall off your chair and the captain would cheer. Right now, you're gold."

**C-Sec Academy – 1630C**

**Garrus Vakarian**

It was easy at first, damn easy. After talking with Ranma in logistics, he was full of courage. He marched right into Executor Pallin's office and put his badge on the table. "I have a better offer," he said boldly, his young turian heart full as sure as it could be.

Pallin snorted. "What, some volus has hired you to be a bodyguard? Maybe you can make friends with that krogan, Wrex. You could use him as a reference."

Garrus gave a mock chuckle. "Yeah, Wrex has more guts in his thumb than I've seen around here in a long time. Oh, and one more thing," he said as he put an OSD on the table. "Here's the compliance issues I wasn't able to get to. You might want to get started as they're due soon."

The Executor scanned the disk and shook his head. "Vakarian, you just don't understand, do you? You have the luxury of seeing things only from the street agent level. C-Sec is not just about busting bad guys."

"You had me fooled," the agent said, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

Pallin stood and swept his hand around to the view from the balcony. The magnificence of the Presidium could not be denied, but Garrus had seen it all before. "Vakarian, C-Sec is about politics. We exist to keep everyone happy, the Council, the rich, the poor, even the keepers. I don't make these rules for my own health."

Garrus knew the man was dealing with a lot of pressure, but _something_ needed to be said and _he_ needed to say it. "Sir, with all due respect, I know that what you do is not for selfish reasons…although I can't say the same for your assistant executors, cronies all, they. However, you have to understand what these rules are doing to your agents. We're choking on meaningless and redundant bureaucracy. Do yourself a favor and see what the agents are actually doing. Sitting in an ivory tower theorizing over compliance reports and having everything filtered through your entourage is killing C-Sec."

Pallin appeared ready to lash out, but then breathed out and stepped back. "Vakarian, that is something I have both loved and hated in you – you were never afraid to speak your mind. You are definitely your father's son in that. So, what are you going to do?"

"I've signed on with Commander Shepard."

"Her? You mean chasing Saren around the galaxy?"

"Yes, I can think of no greater cause."

Pallin snorted. "You're still young yet, Vakarian. I tell you what…you get that adventure out of your system and if you're still around, I'll keep your badge in my desk."

Garrus thought on it for a moment. "Okay, deal. I'll be back…with Saren's head. You can count on that."

"That's what I'm afraid of. You know, for what's its worth, here is a commendation for your actions in Chora's Den."

The agent accepted the plaque, which was carved in black stone with the C-Sec symbol engraved. "I haven't gotten one of these in a long time. Thanks," he said, his voice just on the edge of cynicism. In truth, Garrus had been somewhat bitter that he'd been overlooked in spite of his good work while incompetent kiss ups seemed to garner all of the glory.

"I won't lie to you, Vakarian, this comes at the recommendation of Commander Shepard. She was very persistent…and very convincing. She seemed quite impressed by you. Well, you tell your father I said hello when you see him."

"I will." This was what Garrus had feared. He had played out all of the scenarios in his head. What would he say? How would the old man react? It wouldn't be good, he knew that much. The agent bowed respectfully. "Executor…I'll take my leave now."

He departed with some things to think about, but he was a light in spirit. He had fantasized about that meeting for a long time and imagined all sorts of arguments, but Pallin's thoughtfulness threw him for a loop. It wasn't a bad thing, mind you, but unexpected. Perhaps that meant that there might be hope for C-Sec afterall. Pallin just had to get rid of those sponges and sycophants who were milking the agency for their own gain and vanity. When Garrus first graduated from the Academy, he was full of piss and vinegar…a true believer in C-Sec. But, the years had worn him down and he knew that his attitude had gotten him blackballed for promotion with Assistant Executor Kimjo, bitch that she was.

As he came around the corner, the quarian, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, was waiting for him. He was a little surprised to see her as she had been absent since the Council hearing on Saren. He had to admire her skill and courage at having survived the geth and the Wards. Surviving certain parts of the Wards was not easy business especially for someone who had never interacted with other races before. "Tali, what are you doing here? Can I help you?"

"Hiya Garrus," she said in that warbling sort of voice of hers. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Sure, what about?"

"You were part of the team that saved me and I didn't have the opportunity to thank you personally. I have been in debriefings with the Alliance most of the day."

Garrus nodded. "I'm glad I could help," he said, somewhat curious as to what she looked like under the mask. He didn't know too much about quarians, but his investigative skills told him that she was young, but not lacking in intelligence. "What will you do now that your evidence has been presented to the Council? Is your pilgrimage complete?"

"Well, that was another thing I wanted to talk to you about, Garrus. My pilgrimage still has a long way to go and I have asked Commander Shepard to join her team and she has accepted."

"Oh?" More surprises. "You might be interested to know that I have done the same."

Tali took a step back. "Really? That is a coincidence. I did not know that. I was just hoping to get your opinion of my decision as you are not human. If I were to ask one of Shepard's team, their opinion might be somewhat biased. I was going to speak to the krogan, but I could not find him."

Garrus found her reasoning very sound and liked the idea of her joining the crew. The hunt for Saren would be much more interesting with her around. "I think you are making the right choice, Tali. Shepard seems to be a good leader and she cares about her people, not just the humans," he said and held up his plaque. "It's not much, but she pushed for me to get this in recognition of my part in the operation. She's done more for me in a day than all of my management has done for me in three years."

The quarian nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I'm glad I talked to you. I feel that fate is somehow drawing me to this quest."

"Well, I'm on my way to meet Lieutenant Alenko, who will find me some quarters. You are welcome to join me."

"Would you mind?"

"Not at all," he said and began walking to find the elevator to the _Normandy_.

He carried his plaque with a renewed sense of pride. _So, Shepard really pushed for me_, he thought. For a long time, no one in charge had been in the corner for him to back him up or to even advocate for him and he had really felt like the system had hung him out to dry…especially with the crazed Doctor Saleon. The powers that be cared more for the criminals than for the victims or the agents. Garrus was definitely thrown under a bus in that operation.

Garrus and Tali walked by the office and he saw the female turian, Kimjo chewing out some poor agent for daring to have a personal life. He listened for a moment just to see what was happening. The assistant executor never missed an opportunity to make a public spectacle of berating personnel. "What is that _stroller_ for? You're creating a hazard in work space!" Kimjo said loudly, pointed her finger into the face of a frightened asari. "You are already on thin ice, Agent Cori. That thing you cart around in that stroller interferes with your job."

"You mean my _baby_, ma'am?"

"Yes…_that_!" Kimjo said, exasperated as if a three year old had intentionally thrown food on the floor.

"My baby is in day care, ma'am. She's not here with me. I'm just keeping the stroller here while I perform my duties. I'm sorry for having a baby, ma'am."

A look of ultimate satisfaction came over the assistant executor. Agent Cori actually understood the horrible misdeed that was done here. "You should be. I'm glad you've come around, Cori. I'll let you slide once more. I'll be keeping my eyes on you though," she said, narrowing her beady turian eyes.

"Hey Kimjo!" a voice rang out. It was Garrus. "Bite me," he said as he made an obscene turian gesture. He didn't know where that came from – it just sort of flew out of his finger. It was like he was not in control of his own body, just looking down at himself from above.

Kimjo stood, stunned. Her beady eyes bulged like saucers. "I'll have your badge, Vakarian. Don't you walk away from me!"

Garrus laughed out loud. It was a deep, belly laugh, one he hadn't had in a long time. The irony of the situation was just too much to pass up. "You're too late, Kimjo. I already gave it to Pallin. As an investigator you were always a day late and a credit short."

What happened next stunned the jaded agent – the entire floor stood up and applauded. Garrus' face flushed blue/gray with embarrassment – he didn't mean to attract such attention, but after a moment, he returned a curt, professional turian bow and then waved to the clapping C-Sec agents. He saw Kimjo storm out the other way and that was enough to have made it all worth it. If only he had the balls to have done that before. He really did have to thank Shepard for giving him his courage back. Yes, she could be brutally honest at times and sometimes it wasn't pleasant, but it made him see things in a way he never did before. But beyond that, she was compassionate – she saw the good with the bad and never robbed him of his dignity. That was worthy of respect…worthy of following unto death.

As he turned to go, he got a tap on the shoulder. It was Chellick, his friend from the academy. "Hey Garrus, good luck to you. I'm going to miss you, buddy."

"I'll miss you too. You keep these new guys safe from the likes of Kimjo, huh?"

"Yeah, you can't make this stuff up," Chellick said, getting a laugh from both.

"No good deed goes unpunished," Garrus said and they both made a shooting gesture at the other with their fingers.

"Garrus, I heard that you signed on with Commander Shepard."

"News travels fast. Yes, I did."

Chellick sighed and got this faraway look. "I envy you. That human has a good head on her shoulders. You know she broke the mod case wide open. I'm doing the take down in two days. You could still come."

Garrus shook his head. The temptation was there, no doubt, but he had closed that chapter of his life. Right now, there was only one other thing to do before he could open the next chapter. "Thanks Chellick, but I have to move on. I'll be back some day when we take down Saren and I'll tell you all about it."

"You talk to your father yet?"

"I was just going to."

"If I know him, he's not going to be too happy."

Garrus' father, Sho Vakarian, was a legend in C-Sec. He'd recently retired, but still, you could not wander the halls and not hear a conversation about him somewhere. His operations were required reading at the academy. Getting out from under his shadow was another reason for the young Vakarian to go it alone. "Yeah Chellick, you're right. I have to do this though. You take care."

They shook hands and Garrus waved to the rest of the agents. He turned to go, knowing that the biggest challenge of the day lay ahead. "Tali, would you mind coming with me to speak to my father?"

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Not at all, Garrus. Not at all."

**CODEX –**

Battle of Trafalgar – 1805 – The Royal Navy's victory prevented Napoleon from invading England. Hero of the battle, Admiral Horatio Nelson, was killed by a French sniper during the fight.

Bore – The inside of the barrel of a firearm. A smoothbore has no rifling. Rifling provides spin to the projectile, giving it stability in flight.


	8. Deals with the Devil

Updated 10 MAY 10 - Let's do a little tongue in cheek on this chapter before we look at anyone selling their soul. This leads to the next story, Scouring the Galaxy. Another installment is in the works, looking at a vacation that takes place just after the Citadel Battle and before ME2. That is being kindly beta'd by my friends Padawan Mage and Joseph Hayes.

**C-Sec Academy – 1800C**

**Staff Commander Claire Shepard - SPECTRE**

Claire sat on a mat with two other people, a turian and a salarian. She assumed that they also had to be SPECTRE inductees. Captain Anderson once told her that Alliance Intelligence believed that there were only around 100 SPECTREs serving the Council. For an entire galaxy, that wasn't a whole lot. As a teen living in space, she loved to read stories of the mythical Jedi Knights, a small band of roving do-gooders who tried to make the galaxy a safer place. Her favorite character was a fallen Jedi named Revan who was redeemed in the end. The whole story had over the top heroes and villains that shook the pillars of Heaven in their epic battles. Kind of like…now.

She was tempted to speak to the other two, but she remembered N7 Selection where you did not speak unless spoken to. Flapping your lips was a sure ticket to abuse. Anticipating a similar type of hell, Claire prepared herself for anything – the room flooding, a sudden attack by ninjas, heck, even pigs flying at her. Any second now, a foul-mouthed training instructor would burst through the floor and she'd be submerged in a pool with her hands tied or on a 15 kilometer run through a thunderstorm with full packs. Back in Selection, her genetic modifications made her a superstar with nearly unlimited stamina and strength, but those traits couldn't prepare you for the unknown.

Claire nearly flinched when the door opened softly and a shapely asari literally glided into the room. Without moving her head, the new SPECTRE's eyes roved around, looking for any movement, any sign that all hell would break loose. She watched warily as the asari came up and sat down in front of them, crossing her legs. Claire placed her palms on the mat, ready to spring up and attack if necessary.

"Greetings, new SPECTRE's, I am your trainer, Master Sha'rin. Goddess willing, I think we're going to get along just fine here. Please, introduce yourselves. I'd like to get to know you better."

The commander narrowed her eyes. _What the heck is going on here? Is this some kind of trick to get us to lower our guard?_

The salarian raised his hand, almost nervously. "I am Ren Goratu Dalian Shu Pra, but you can call me Ren. I was an STG member before I became a SPECTRE," he said in the speedy, high-pitched voice of his kind.

Sha'rin bowed respectfully. "Welcome Ren, we are pleased that you could join us."

Next came the turian. "I am Shaara Mika. I was an Imperial naval officer before. I'm honored to be here." He seemed steady and thoughtful, guarded in his answers.

Again, the asari bowed. "Welcome, Shaara. I think you will find the training to your satisfaction."

Claire was really confused now. This was more like a tea party than any training she had ever been to. Was Sha'rin going to start serving scones now? When was the screaming going to start? When was the pain going to begin? She could still see her first N7 instructor, Operations Chief Mike "Mac" MacReady, a big, cigar chomping, whiskey swilling operator who would kill you sooner than shake your hand. The image of Mac, holding a stupid umbrella over his own head, blowing noxious cigar smoke in her face under a driving rain storm was still quite vivid. "I don't give a shit what your name is! I don't care if you have a pet! I don't give a shit that your daddy is an admiral! You're going to go crawling back to him with your Barbie Doll and your thumb in your mouth when I'm done with you!"

Sha'rin turned to the commander. "And what is your story?" she asked, snapping Claire back to reality. "I am anxious to hear about the first human SPECTRE. Please share with us."

"Oh…me? I'm Claire Shepard, a commander in the Alliance Navy. I'm very honored to represent my people."

The asari smiled and clapped for everyone. "Please stand. Let us begin."

_Okay, here it comes…._ Sha'rin stepped towards Claire and the commander tensed, ready for a fight. The asari gave her a warm, gentle hug. "Welcome. I look forward to teaching you."

When the hugs were finished, they all lay down on the floor and meditated. Sha'rin had them focus on their breathing and visualize a calm meadow with a stream. "Feel the energy course through your body. Can you see the light?"

"Uh…yeah." She could actually feel little tingles of power jumping around from her head to her toes and see flashes of light before her closed eyes. In her vision of the meadow, she could see a black horse and her pet, a small dog that looked a lot like a little bear. As a kid, Mittens was her best friend since she had no brothers or sisters and the life of a spacer kid could get kind of lonely.

Then, there was a presence near her head and she thought it was Sha'rin. Warm fingers pressed down on her forehead and began to soothe her worried brows. "You seem to be very tense, Claire. Please, relax."

"I…I'm having some difficulty with that."

"Why?"

"This is not what I expected. I keep anticipating this training to evolve into the type of misery that I've gotten use to in Spec Ops."

The asari laughed a joyous laugh. "Oh Claire, by the Goddess, you are so funny. Well, let's get it out of your system, shall we?" Sha'rin clapped her hands. "Please rise, everyone."

Claire bolted to her feet, coming to attention. "Ready, ma'am."

"What would you like to do then?"

This had to be a trick question. The commander looked confused, her eyes narrowed and one eyebrow bumped up. "Um, we have a choice?"

"Why, of course! Please, pick an event."

"Okay then…hand to hand combat."

The asari bowed. "A good choice. Come everyone, let's get the blood flowing so we can focus on our growth."

_This is more like it._ Claire was beginning to wonder if she had wandered into the C-Sec Yoga class by mistake. Sha'rin gestured to she and the salarian and the two squared off. Claire eased back into a defensive stance, weight on her back leg as she studied Ren's slight form. It would be easy to underestimate a salarian because of their build, but they could be fast and tricky – deception was a hallmark of their fighting style.

On the signal, he made a feint, reaching out with his hand, but Claire didn't react. She kept her feet light and moving, never giving him a stationary target for long. Her eyes ranged over his body, his stance, his form, looking for any weakness. He was quick and wiry, but he seemed to lack conviction in his movements. She lowered her guard, giving him an opening.

He moved right and then left, trying to draw her into a reaction, but she was nothing if not steady under fire. He looked frustrated and launched straight at her, having lost patience. He reached for her throat and she slid to his outside, grasping his wrist lightly. His momentum propelled him past her and she used that energy to press his wrist back toward his elbow in a technique known as _kotegaeshi_. In an instant, his entire body spun upside down with his feet whipping through the air and he landed with a ground-shaking crash. Claire was moving on instinct now and, with her other hand, seized his elbow and she corkscrewed his face into the mat.

"Unph…," was all he could say and she let him go. Victory was hers and she was feeling pretty good for her first encounter as a SPECTRE. Her instructors at the Advanced N7 school always said that there were no points for second best.

Sha'rin smiled and knelt down to make sure that Ren was ok. Claire extended a hand to him and he used it to pull himself up. "You're a good fighter," he said respectfully.

They bowed at each other and the asari stepped in front of Claire. "I am impressed. Here, let us give it a go," Sha'rin said to the commander and then turned to face the turian. "Always remember how important focus is. Reach deep into yourself for your inner energy."

_So, are we going to fight or not?_ Claire crossed her arms, waiting for something to happen, but the master continued lecturing to the others. After a couple more minutes, she made a face and began tapping her foot.

Sha'rin suddenly turned back and, in the blink of an eye she was face to face with Claire with her hand on Claire's throat. "You had lost before I even touched you. I can see how impatient you are. Your mind is scattered…wandering."

The commander was a little taken aback by the surprise attack. She wasn't going to let this mystic get the better of her. No one had ever done it before and she wasn't going to let someone start now. She pried the asari's hand off of her throat and twisted her wrist around, but Sha'rin merely somersaulted away…without effort. Shepard was nothing if not aggressive and she rushed in and swept the master's legs with her foot. The asari went down and Shepard was on her, pinning her arms with her thighs. _I've got you._ Sha'rin only smiled.

Before Shepard could even think about gloating, two legs wrapped around her neck and slammed her head into the mat. The stars that she saw were brighter than the Milky Way from the windows of the _Normandy._ She struggled to regain her vision and her footing, but suddenly, her arms and legs were immobilized and someone was pulling her head back, threatening to break her like a twig. There was nothing she could do. An honorable warrior knew when to concede. "Okay! I give!"

Sha'rin let go in an instant and pulled Shepard up. "Do not be discouraged, young SPECTRE. Now…are you ready to learn?"

The commander let out a conciliatory chuckle. "I am." Shepard was finding that she had a very healthy respect for the master and her _soft_ training style.

**Earth – 2200Z – Langley, Virginia**

**Systems Alliance Intelligence Branch Headquarters**

**Admiral John M. Shepard – Director of Systems Alliance Intelligence**

John Shepard watched the news feed on Alliance News Network where the pundits played out the events on Eden Prime, debating the minutiae of the entire ordeal. For some reason he couldn't take his eyes off of the images of Claire disarming the nukes that were set to annihilate the entire colony.

On the monitor, a round-faced man with crew cut blond hair waved his hands around. His eyes were bulging and the veins in his neck popped out like rivers on a map. "I'm showing you recently declassified videos of Commander Shepard's assault on the geth positions! Those robots nearly wiped out millions of people! Are you as outraged as I am? Why would these AI's attack us? Is Parliament withholding information? I believe they are! What are these videos not showing us?" The pundit, Ben Gleck, was famous on the talk show circuit for stirring up trouble. Despite the ranting, such a man could have his uses to the admiral.

Shepard snorted out a chuckle. Wouldn't Gleck like to know? The existence of the Prothen beacon was still highly classified and everyone involved was forced to sign a non-disclosure pact with the government, even his daughter. Still, the media was pretty savvy and they were slowly putting two and two together. They knew that something big was being concealed on Eden Prime and it really was only a matter of time before they figured it out. Perhaps getting ahead of the intelligence was the best course of action. He would have to meet with this Gleck soon.

The images on the monitor changed to show Claire. She was back in the limelight, something that she always had a weakness for. He tried to warn her more than once, but his daughter was always a stubborn one. Gleck pointed to the image. "Here's the heroic Commander Claire Shepard disarming nuclear charges at great risk to her own life. This journalist has contacted the commander for a statement and is waiting on her call. Maybe she can cut through the red tape and give us some answers. The people deserve the truth!"

A couple of older clips then played showing Claire participating in a game show and then another of her in a reality show in which she dated 20 bachelors to choose one in the end. It didn't work out…like all of her other relationships. Admiral Shepard sighed. For such a smart girl, she was such a dumb girl.

Gleck brought up more images. "We have exclusive footage of Claire Shepard's induction into the mystical SPECTREs, known as the right hand of the Council. Finally, we have a human on the inside! It's only a matter of time now before humans have a voice on the Council."

John Shepard had to agree with the guy. Perhaps that was why he always made it a point to watch Gleck when he could. Now that Claire was a SPECTRE, he could influence things on a galactic level. She seemed to be coming back into the fold after their last discussion. He knew she would come around. She always did.

Images of other people came up on the monitor around Gleck; a retired general, a former member of Parliament, a musician, and a teacher. They began to debate the action on Eden Prime and the merits of Claire's having been made a SPECTRE. Callers from the myriad of human colonies phoned in, giving their opinions.

Caller #1 - "If I was Commander Shepard, I'da shot dat smuggler! She was too soft."

Gleck - "Thank you, next caller."

Caller #2 - "How come she couldn't save Nihlus? Wasn't she a SPECTRE?"

Gleck - "Not at the time. Thank you, next caller."

Caller #3 - "Well, I think she's a hero! I just got her autograph on the Citadel. She's really nice."

Gleck - "Emily Wong thinks so too. Emily just reported that the commander busted up a gang over there too, right?"

Caller #3 – "Yes, she did! She deserves to represent humanity in the SPECTREs. I'm behind her one-hundred-percent."

Gleck – "And your name, sir?"

Caller #3 – "Conrad…Conrad Verner."

Gleck – "Thank you, Conrad. Next caller…."

Shepard shook his head at the spectacle and took a bite of his Gyro sandwich. He had grown particularly fond of the kiosk out on the Washington D.C. mall, run by a man named Katsulakis. Such a fine meal needed a good drink to wash it down with and he removed a crystal decanter from an 18th Century oak cabinet. There was something about hand crafted furniture that spoke to the character of a man and he spared no expense to make that statement loud and clear. He admired the label on the decanter, which read, "Louis XIII." The bottle had set him back 10,000 credits, but that was peanuts compared to the Shepard family fortune. He poured the brown liquid into a brandy snifter and swirled it around before taking a deep sniff of the aroma.

Gleck's show was now over and the news switched to a human interest story. The focus was on a young woman, Jane Something, who had grown up in the vast slums of Earth. Somehow, she had escaped unspeakable poverty and crime and enlisted in the Alliance Navy. She was sent to the colony of Akuze to find a missing colonial exploration team and her unit was wiped out by a Thresher Maw – she was the only survivor. Her actions allowed the colony to escape. The newscaster went on to say how this woman had overcome such great odds to have been chosen after N7 Selection. It was a real heart warmer.

Shepard thought about how Claire had grown up with all of the advantages – wealth, connections, all of the finest trainers. The Shepards were certainly a better class of people than this other person and it was their God given right to guide humanity into a new era. The admiral snorted. "Manifest Destiny," he commented, drawing reference to theory that a certain type of men would one day rule the world.

Then, he noticed that he was receiving a call on a secure line. It was Ambassador Udina. _So, the insufferable bastard needs something?_

"Admiral Shepard." He was all smiles this time. "You're aware that your daughter was made the first human SPECTRE?"

"I am."

"Well, then you know that she will need a ship to pursue Saren. I thought you might be able to pull some strings to make this happen."

An idea sunk into his head. It was one of those dark ideas that could only be spoken of in the back rooms of the powerful. "In fact, I can. Why not the fastest, stealthiest ship in the fleet?"

Udina looked surprised at first, but then he seemed to get on the same wavelength. "I think that's an excellent idea. How can we make it happen?"

"There are some people we can call. I'll get back to you shortly."

"Very good, admiral. I hope for good news."

"Don't worry, ambassador, you'll get it." He logged off the call. He knew deep down that someone was going to be screwed when his daughter received command of that ship. Unfortunately, that was just part of the politics of military life. Things were not always fair and, at that high level, it was Darwinism at its finest. Claire often hung onto outdated notions of honor and loyalty, but she would learn. Honor was a luxury that few could afford in this dog eat dog world of power or it was a grand notion that was fed to new recruits to get them to die for an ideal. In the end, only the strong and the smart prevailed and it made humanity better for the struggle.

John Shepard then switched channels to speak to his friend at Cerberus. It was odd, he considered the man a friend, but still did not know the man's real name. He was just referred to as the Illusive Man. The man's symmetrical face appeared on the monitor.

"Yes, John. What can I do for you?"

"I am hoping to call in some of my investment in your company. I'd like you to pull a few strings with your contacts in Naval Operations. My daughter needs a ship of her own."

The Illusive Man cocked his head, appearing confused. "John, you're an admiral…the Director of Alliance Intelligence. Surely, you have more pull on something like this."

"It can't come back to me. You know that."

A spreading realization came over the man's face. "Ah, I understand. I know just who to call. You realize that this will cause others to be displaced?"

"I do. Don't worry about that. Just make it happen, if you please."

The man nodded slowly. "Very well. What ship did you have in mind?"

"The fastest and stealthiest."

"Understood. You'll know when it happens so there is no need for me to call with any confirmation. One other thing, John, I am putting your investment to good use. I hope to see results within half a year. A specimen that we procured from Noveria seems to be very promising. The fact that those scientists have no scruples makes this venture almost too easy."

"Good. I look forward to our next meeting. We should do lunch some time."

"I look forward to it."

Shepard logged off again and sat back into his leather seat. He remembered his first large command fondly. He had beaten out three other officers for that post and the competition had been fierce. He had top marks going into the final selection, but so did the other officers. The fact that John's father was a general didn't hurt and in the ever-increasing competition for higher rank and responsibility, every advantage had to be played. Claire would now be the next Shepard in the long line of proud leaders. Besides, it was time for Captain David Anderson to step aside and enter the fold of the inner circle. He might pout for a time, but he would eventually accept his fate and become one of the Alliance Navy's power brokers. After all, John Shepard did.


End file.
